Congratulations on earning a role as a finance manager!
Now that you have the job you’ve always wanted, it’s time to show your hiring manager that they made the right decision.
The first 30 days in a new position can be nerve-wracking, but they’re also an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your skills and carve a space for yourself into your new workplace. As you’re getting into the flow of managing the reporting for the month and addressing account needs, you can also be networking, expanding your skills and immersing yourself in the company culture.
Here are 8 ways to make sure that you thrive, rather than just surviving in your new role.
1. Know What’s Expected of You
The first step towards success in any role is understanding precisely what’s required of you. Asking for a copy of your job description will help here, but it’s also worth discussing anything you’re unsure about with a leader in your team.
For instance, you may know that you need to create yearly budgets and forecasts for your organisation, but how often do you need to publish a new report? Does your team prefer weekly, monthly, or quarterly insights? The more you understand your position, the better you’ll work within it.
2. Understand How Your Work Will Be Evaluated
As well as knowing what you need to do each day, you’ll also need a firm grasp of how your performance will be measured.
During the induction process after you’re hired, ask questions about how feedback and guidance are offered in the business. Can you expect someone to conduct a one-on-one stay interview with you at the end of your first thirty days?
Make sure you also know where you need to go for advice if you need more immediate feedback to gauge your performance. Is a senior executive responsible for overseeing your work?
3. Develop Multi-Level Relationships
As a finance manager, you’ll be responsible for working with many different people in your organisation. It’s important to speak to your peers as quickly as possible when you start your new role, so you can begin to build lucrative relationships.
Remember, while it’s essential to interact with the people you’ll be working with every day, you’ll also need to look for other people to introduce yourself to, as well. For instance, make sure that the finance team you manage feels comfortable coming to you with their questions, but take the time to reach out to other senior-level employees in different departments too. The more you embed yourself into the workforce with multi-tier relationships, the more you’ll feel like a natural part of the team.
4. Adjust Your Habits
Everyone develops habits during the course of their career. Certain habits are useful, like writing a list of the most important tasks you need to do before you start work each day. Other practices can be harmful to your productivity, like checking your email every five minutes.
To determine what kind of habits you need to develop in your new finance manager role, speak to your employers about what they like most about your current character, and what they might want to change.
A commitment to accuracy is an excellent habit to develop in financial management, as you will frequently be responsible for producing accurate analysis reports into labour, standard costs, overheads and so on.
5. Immerse Yourself in the Company Culture
Company culture is becoming an increasingly crucial component of a good hiring decision. Today’s hiring managers often use competency-based interviewing techniques to determine how well a candidate will fit into their business, based on things like shared values and work ethics.
To improve your chances of thriving in your new workplace, ask your employer for a written description of how they would define the business company culture. If they define the culture as a place of “constant growth and learning”, you’ll know that a commitment to developing your skills is essential.
It’s also worth making notes on how people interact with each other in your new workplace. Does everyone turn up to weekly meetings, or are most interactions held over email?
6. Speak Up
When starting a new career, it’s tempting to stay quiet and blend into the background. However, as a finance manager, you need to demonstrate your skills and proficiencies from day one. With that in mind, don’t be afraid to speak up, offer suggestions and ask questions during company meetings.
Simply asking questions to learn more about the needs of the company will show business leaders that you’re committed to getting things right in your new role. You’ll also be able to expand on what you think you know about the business you’re working for.
7. Track Your Progress
As important as it is to know how your employer will evaluate your performance during your first 30 days, it’s also crucial to track your achievements. Take about 30 minutes at the end of each day to reflect on what you’ve accomplished, and ask yourself whether you’re meeting the expectations laid out for you in your job description.
If you’re having any issues with specific parts of your role, consider what you need to do to overcome these problems. For instance, can you take part in additional training to learn how to use the software your company relies on? Track your progress and actively aim to improve a little each day.
8. Find a Mentor
Finally, there are few things more valuable in your first 30 days as a finance manager, than someone who can guide you in your new role. A mentor already understands the company culture you’re immersing yourself within, and they know how to guide you through the trials of your first month.
Proactively seek out someone who can advise you as you start to take a more prominent role in the company or ask your employer for guidance choosing the right mentor.
About Rebus Financial Recruitment
Rebus Financial Recruitment provides a specialist and focused recruitment service to its customers, which historically range from a wide variety of organisations including SME’s to large PLCs.
We strive to offer both the client and candidate a seamless recruitment experience. Using our expertise, we get to the heart of employer and employee needs; and, in doing so, we match the two perfectly. To get in touch call us on 01282 930930.
