Onboarding: Beyond the Exosphere
š·: Bing Image Creator
Three and a half months into my Monzo journey, I successfully passed my probation š
Iāve been asked several times what the experience so far has been like (from friends, family, new connections on LinkedIn). Honestly? Besides a few more acronyms under my belt - PSC and UBO, anyone? - itās not too different from when I first started.
- Iām still enjoying working with a talented and kind team on an ambitious mission - making money work for everyone.
- Iāve found my footing and identified areas and opportunities where I can leverage my past experience to make things better for the team, the company and myself. Iām hoping this continues!
In the three month break I had between jobs, I wanted to read The First 90 Days cover to cover. I took this book with me to Lisbon, to Copenhagen, I started my new job, a month went by, then anotherā¦and eventually the actual work timer went past 90 days and Iād only got past Chapter 2, so I think that ship has sailed. š
Having said that, I do think itās a good resource for navigating career transitions. Hereās a three themes based on what I did read and my own recent experience, for those of you who may be in a similar spot.
š 1. Itās not a straight line and thatās okay
You will not be useful in your job in the first week. The First 90 Days is how long on average an employee takes to:
- get past the ālearning curveā phase of a new job
- start adding real value, and eventually
- pay back the initial investment made on them as a new hire
Obviously, the faster you get through it the better - but it is a curve after all, and a bumpy one at that.
- There will be ups and downs.
- You might feel out of your depth, or like an imposter.
- You might consider everything trivial one day, then crushingly difficult the next.
This is all very normal! I felt this acutely, and everyone I spoke to experienced this. Even if these feelings donāt completely disappear, you will adjust to fit the new context.
Go easy on yourself, remember to be nice, take the time to breathe and acknowledge the challenge of the situation.
š 2. Make plans (and then change them)
With so much new ground to cover, a rough plan for your journey can really help. What do you hope to accomplish in the beginning? Set some goals and timelines around:
- Gaining an understanding of the teamās mission and roadmap
- Knowing the important rituals and processes
- Building relationships and meeting key stakeholders
- Completing relevant training courses
If your workplace has an official onboarding programme, work closely with your manager to navigate it successfully. If there isnāt an official plan - make one for yourself.
And through it all, keep your plans flexible. If a challenge or opportunity arises, go with the flow. As long as youāre learning and on the path to value, itās okay to deviate!
š 3. Stay curious and take action
As a new starter, you have the perfect mandate to ask all the questions you want, and use those learnings to make a difference. Leverage your fresh eyes as a new starter. Youāll have a unique perspective and experienc to bring the role - thatās why you were hired!
- For example, if youāre wondering what working at Monzo is like (curious), read one or more of the many blog posts on the website about the topic! (take action)
- As you speak with your new colleagues, prepare a consistent set of questions to ask them:
- What do they think about the current state of affairs?
- What are some of the strengths and growth areas theyāre seeing?
- Who else can they suggest you get to know?
- Find out why things are organised they way they are. What principles have driven past decisions? What environmental or business context affects how the team operates? (thereās a āwhat you should know before you join a Fintech / Bankā blog post series thatās kicking around in my head, but thatās for another time)
And take time to observe before making your first moves. Donāt be that person who runs in guns blazing trying to āmake an impactā without taking the time to figure out what would actually be worth doing. Curiousity first, then action.
Thereās no magic formula for success in a new job, but I found these three themes helpful. Keen to hear your thoughts!
(Also, if youāre following along on LinkedIn, youāll see that Monzo is hiring - if youāre an Engineering leader who hasnāt applied before and want to chat about Engineering Management (or other) roles, feel free to reach out! - no recruiters please, thanks š)