0:02

We're back again for my favorite

0:04

part in this show. I ask

0:06

me anything segment with Gerald.

0:08

Have you found this helpful so far? I'm

0:11

sure you have your own questions. So do

0:13

remember to send it to us. You

0:15

can find Gerald and I on linkedin or drop

0:18

us a note at CN A podcasts

0:20

at mediacorp.com dot SG.

0:22

And I'll try my best to help you. You know, I love

0:24

the questions we have so far and I really hope

0:26

that you find the advice given helpful. So do

0:28

let us know if you have tried out any of our tips

0:30

as well.

0:31

Yes, please let us know. Now, Gerald, today's

0:33

question was sent to our producer. This person

0:35

prefers to remain anonymous, but

0:37

I'll read her question. The question

0:40

is the person I replaced, didn't do

0:42

a proper introduction to my team during

0:44

my first week. As a result,

0:46

I had to pin down a one on one meeting

0:48

on my own. They were not very responsive,

0:50

making me question what they were told

0:52

before my arrival as a

0:54

newcomer to the company. How should I handle

0:57

this? And what is the right

0:59

proper professional, even classy?

1:01

Way to do a handover to someone's

1:03

replacement.

1:04

Yeah. You know, Tiffany is really difficult for this

1:06

person because when we enter

1:09

a new job, it's like a new environment. We

1:11

don't know everything about the company.

1:13

Even though we sign on the dotted line for the employment

1:15

contract. It's like we are not sure the

1:17

dynamics, the responsibilities,

1:20

culture, the culture, the politics. So

1:22

it's a whole new environment and not knowing

1:24

what's going on and maybe not even

1:26

feeling welcome because there's no handover.

1:29

It makes it really, really difficult for the person

1:31

to

1:32

adapt. I think there are some people who

1:34

before they leave, they are very willing to write down

1:36

a big folder of instructions, tips

1:39

things to note for the role. But

1:41

there are those who may, if I can

1:43

really put it bluntly mentally

1:45

checked out right ord mode and they

1:47

can't be bothered to do a proper handover

1:49

for all kinds of reasons. So,

1:51

is there a correct way to hand

1:54

over to your replacement? And if I

1:56

am at the receiving end of an improper

1:59

handover, what should I

2:00

do? So if you are a supervisor

2:03

and you have a team and you're receiving a new hire,

2:05

be present on the new hires first few days

2:08

and also assigning someone to stand in.

2:10

If today you are not available on that day because

2:12

I think the first couple of days is the most

2:14

scary. You don't know where the toilet is sometimes

2:17

I was gonna say, where's the toilet? You

2:19

know, where do you get your water from? So, just

2:22

making sure that the person, the new hire is comfortable,

2:24

I think that's the most important thing. And

2:26

then of course, having that meeting to

2:29

sit down with the new hire to communicate

2:31

across what expectations, even

2:33

maybe talk about personal work styles and

2:35

the work culture, how things are like ironed

2:38

out or rather elaborate on what the work priorities

2:40

for the person. Because sometimes you've got like a whole

2:42

list of projects to do. Don't overwhelm

2:44

the new hire start with what the key priorities

2:47

to focus on. And also perhaps

2:49

have that regular check ins maybe

2:51

once every week for the first couple of months,

2:54

at least just to make sure that the person is adapting

2:56

well, some companies, they have workplace

2:58

buddies, mentors. Yes, I had one.

3:00

Yeah. And it's not a supervisor. It's like somebody else to

3:02

take you around to the nice food places.

3:04

She literally told me that I will tell you

3:06

which is the nice toilet, which

3:08

I found very helpful.

3:10

Yeah. Yeah, because this is all about the integration

3:12

experience. There's nothing more

3:14

scary than just going in there and then feeling like you have to take

3:16

an exam on the first day of your work

3:19

and just to perform and then not knowing how

3:21

people view you. So I think really

3:23

the team overall can be more intentional

3:25

in helping new hires integrate having

3:27

lunches together on the first

3:29

week, making sure that they maybe

3:32

you have a department lunch to welcome newcomers.

3:34

All these will kind of add to that. So

3:36

going back to this person who wrote to us, it sounds

3:38

like this person is also saying that

3:41

the team wasn't very receptive

3:44

towards her. So what should

3:46

you do if you feel that

3:48

you are on the receiving end

3:50

of maybe a more hostile

3:53

introduction?

3:54

Yeah. Yeah. Personally I've been through that experience

3:56

before. Yeah. And, and

3:58

I resonate a lot with that question, what needed

4:01

to do was to first be very objective about what's

4:03

happening on the first day. We expect to see

4:05

smiles handshakes, right? And the meetings,

4:08

right? But it's not like that all the time,

4:10

especially if you are joining a company with

4:12

high attrition or maybe the person that's supposed

4:14

to hand over to you is no longer there. So

4:16

you go into this maybe fast

4:19

paced workplace where nobody has time for you,

4:21

right? And it makes you start to feel like you

4:23

are the problem. I think you have to really be very

4:25

objective about what's happening here. Is it because

4:27

of you or is it because of

4:29

the prevailing work culture or

4:31

what's happening with them? Maybe they are unhappy

4:33

about other things and you just, just

4:36

because they don't smile at you doesn't mean that they don't accept

4:38

you. So I think that's 11 area to

4:40

really think about and be objective and

4:42

then start working your way slowly upwards to

4:44

gain the support of other people. If today

4:46

on the first day, nobody is giving you the handover, nobody

4:48

is telling what to do. You are just left to your table with your

4:51

laptop. I think start by talking

4:53

to people around. That's why I did when

4:55

I didn't know who to ask for,

4:57

for information, start to talk to the people in front

4:59

beside behind you get to know their names

5:02

because those are the people who are kind of going to look out for you

5:04

a little bit. They could be your team or they could be

5:06

in another team. It's very likely that they will be your first

5:08

day or first week, lunch buddies as well,

5:10

right? So get to know them, start to

5:12

build relationships first. Maybe not

5:15

worry too much about the work, right?

5:17

I think building your connections within the team

5:19

is really important. So see this as a start

5:21

of you spreading your workplace

5:23

influence with the people around

5:25

you. Yeah.

5:26

Yeah. Very good tip. I mean, at the end of

5:28

the day, you are starting on a clean slate.

5:30

Nobody knows you. So this is a good time

5:32

to start building allies

5:34

and friendships and you never

5:36

know where these relationships take you.

5:39

Well, we hope you found this conversation helpful

5:41

to you to you who sent us this question?

5:44

Let us know if you have tried some of our tips.

5:46

Remember to give us any feedback as well.

5:48

Again, we're on our usual CN a social

5:50

channels or you can leave a comment on Spotify.

5:53

We're reading all of them, trust me and

5:55

don't forget to send us your Bernie questions

5:57

for Gerald and I'll help you ask them

6:00

the team behind the work it podcast is Christina

6:02

Robert, Joan Chan, Jaini, Johari,

6:05

Saya Wind and Rosti put, this

6:07

is Tiffany and

6:08

I'm Gerald. Wishing you a good work

6:10

week ahead.