What to expect when you start a new job, remotely

It might not be as bad as you’d expect…

Many of us have experienced new job stress — where you spend weeks or months absolutely exhausted as you try and take in all the new processes, remember names, produce your best work, build relationships with new co-workers and make a great impression. But not many of us have had to cope with all this via a virtual environment, especially one where your organisation is also getting to grips with this new way of working.

But some unfortunate (or perhaps fortunate) few, like Matt Lambert from Hargreaves Lansdown, have had to demonstrate some rather exponential resilience, as they took on the challenge of starting a new job during lockdown. So if you’ve just started a new remote job, or you’re due to start soon — keep reading as we share Matt’s experiences and top tips for surviving your first few months.

First, let’s introduce Matt…

Matt started the graduate scheme at Hargreaves Lansdown (a leading savings and investments company) within the internal audit team back in April 2020 — yep that’s right, just as the UK went into lockdown.

Initially, Matt was a little concerned about whether the graduate scheme would be going ahead, so naturally, he was delighted when he had confirmation that it would still be going ahead but had a few concerns about how it would work via a virtual working environment.

What was your first day like?

A couple of days before my first day, a courier arrived at my home address with my IT equipment so that I could get started on the Monday. I then received a phone call from the head of the department to welcome me to the team, and the IT Service Desk got to work setting me up on their systems. Looking through my calendar, I was pleased to find lots of induction one-to-ones with my team via zoom, which gave me the opportunity to speak to each of them individually and get to know a bit more about the people I would be working with.

How did your company help you settle in?

I was introduced to a ‘buddy’, who I would have daily catch-ups with for the first few weeks after joining — this gave me the opportunity to ask any questions, talk through the on-boarding prorgamme, and they also coached me through my first few bits of work.

The team had also put together a really helpful starter pack, which contained lots of useful information to help me get up to speed with the business and the relevant systems and tools they use. The induction zoom meetings also really helped me learn more about the audit software, corporate governance, and methodology.

Aside from an induction with my department, I also received a corporate induction — a series of sessions designed to help new starters find out more about the business culture, values, clients, services, and career development opportunities. They only really lasted about 30–60 minutes and were really informative, helpful sessions that were delivered really well despite having to be adapted for remote delivery.

Did getting settled in remotely cause any problems?

My onboarding experience with the team was actually really positive and whilst it would have been great to meet them all in person, and get shown around the office, the team really embraced working remotely — ensuring there were regular catch-ups and a weekly quiz every Friday.

What concerns did you have about remote working?

My initial concern was about being able to create a comfortable and effective workspace from home. But the company helped make this happen by providing any extra equipment I needed — this included an office chair and a desktop monitor.

So would you say starting a new job remotely has been difficult?

For me, I was lucky enough to join a really welcoming team, who had set up a well-planned induction programme which really allowed me to settle into the role quickly. So overall, there wasn’t really anything to worry about because the induction process was so seamless.

Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) is the UK’s leading savings and investment platform. As a FTSE 100 company based in Bristol where we now have over 1.3 million clients who trust us to look after more than £96 billion of their savings and investments (correct as at 14 May 2020).

Our rotational graduate scheme involves three-month rotations in different job roles, which could include finance, investment, operations and marketing. You’ll build your career path and specialise at the end of the two year programme. While moving across the business, you’ll get a feel for what the departments do, how they fit together, and where they’re going.

With previous graduates and senior managers as your mentors, we’ll support you through professional qualifications, while you find the career that’s right for you.

For more information, please contact: graduate.careers@hl.co.uk