A great way to start your first day in your new online job is to ask the right questions. Doing so helps you get up to speed in your role, especially if it’s your first job. It also helps set expectations so you can have a great first day at work.
Although companies provide onboarding sessions, you should still prepare a few questions for your manager, as it shows commitment and the desire to do your best.
So, what questions do you ask your manager when starting your first day of work? Let’s find out.
What Are The Team’s Preferred Methods of Communication?
In a remote setup, proper communication is everything. Thus, one of the questions you should ask on your first day of work is: “How should I communicate with you and the rest of the team?”
Since you rarely meet your colleagues face-to-face, quickly find out about the best way to reach them online. What communication apps does your team use to hold meetings or chat with each other? Does your manager prefer to be contacted via Skype, Slack, or Gmail?
Knowing what communication apps to use on your first day will help you identify how your team operates and the best way to approach them.
What Are Your Expectations From Me During My First Weeks Here?
For some companies, your first few weeks will serve as an adjustment period. Some, however, expect you to hit the ground running and immediately have requirements and deadlines set.
That’s why it’s always a smart move to know what your manager expects from you as early as possible. This helps you identify the short-term goals you need to focus on, so you can start properly managing your workload.
Who Will I Be Working With?
Of course, another crucial detail to know during your first day of work is who your teammates are. After all, you’ll spend most of your time at work with them, so you should get to know them as early as possible.
Besides the co-workers you’ll be working with the most, you should also meet the other department heads. Yes, you won’t get to work with them as much, but knowing your company’s hierarchy makes it easier to ask for their help when needed.
How Frequently Do I Need to Meet You and the Rest of the Team?
Some managers prefer holding regular meetings with their teams. Some, however, set up meetings just once a month or only when there’s a critical project for the team.
To avoid missing any meetings with your manager or team, ask how often they occur to avoid potential schedule conflicts.
What Tools Will I Need for My Work?
In addition to knowing what methods of communication to use at work, your job may require you to work with other specialized applications.
These include what monitoring system your company uses as well as job-specific apps like AutoCAD. You may even need physical equipment like drawing pads if you’re a graphic designer.
If you have any questions about your work tools or require assistance procuring them, ask them immediately on your first day of work.
How Does the Evaluation/Feedback Process Work?
Another company process you should ask about early on is how your company handles performance evaluations. What are your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)? When does the company hold its company-wide reviews?
Knowing these will help you assess whether you’re meeting your manager’s expectations and doing a great job. And if you do well in these reviews, you can even receive a raise or, even better, a promotion.
Start Your Career With the Right Questions.
Asking your manager questions as early as possible is always a wise move. Not only does this help you learn more about your job and the company, but it also tells your manager you’re eager to do your best.
But what if you don’t know which questions to ask your manager? Don’t worry. You can start with the questions mentioned in this article.
However, if your current question is where to find online jobs, Remote Staff is the place to go. Our jobs list has a wide range of positions available for you to choose from.
And if you don’t find the job you want today, don’t worry. You can check again the next day, as we regularly update our list with new openings.
Good luck!
