STARTING A NEW JOB REMOTELY

Sharp Consultancy Supports Yorkshire Children’s Charity’s annual schools day out at Cannon Hall Farm.

On Wednesday, September 11th, half of our staff from both the Sheffield and Leeds offices volunteered to support Yorkshire Children’s Charity. Each year, this charity provides hundreds of children from schools across Yorkshire with the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic day out at Cannon Hall Farm, and they rely on many volunteers to make this happen.This year, over 600 children who might otherwise not be able to enjoy a day trip like this, partook in what turned out to be a brilliant day. Yorkshire Children’s Charity is very close to our hearts here at Sharp Consultancy as not only is it focused on the county we call home, the charity helps children who for a variety of reasons, are in a position of disadvantage. For many of these children, this was their first visit to a farm and possibly their first experience outside their local area. Apart from a brief deluge for 10 minutes at the start of the day and a light shower at the end the day, the rain mostly stayed away. The team from Sharp Consultancy, along with many other volunteers helped get the packed lunches delivered, drinks poured, biscuits distributed and joined the teachers showing the children around the farm – from reptile houses to the pig pens (much holding of noses and retching noises!), tractor rides to see Llama’s and reindeer, sheep racing, ferret racing, meerkats and mongoose. It was a day like no other.No matter how old you are, if you think back really hard, you can probably just about remember the first time you saw a snake or huge monitor lizard in a zoo; or goggled at the size of a shire horse and the amazement you felt – multiply this by 608 children and you might just have some idea how special the day was. And don’t children ask the best questions. I have never been asked so many questions I didn’t know the answer to – ‘Why do snakes put their heads in that position?’ Why are some leaf cutter ants carrying leaves to their nest and some carrying them away from their nest?’ Why is that cow laying down and that one stood up?’ my answer – ‘it must be tired’ – there response ‘what’s it been doing to get tired?’ Or my favourite ‘What can run faster, a meerkat or a ferret?’. The team here at Sharp Consultancy had an amazing day (I think if enjoyment could be measured, we’d have given the children a run for their money!) It was a humbling and enlightening experience and on occasions, very emotional (my word, you really appreciate just exactly how lucky you are and have been). Most of all though it was a delight to meet 608 amazing young people, dozens of teachers and assistants (you really are heroes, and nothing will make me change my mind on that) and all our fellow volunteers and charity employees Annabel and Abbie – join the teachers in our collective hero worship. A day to remember…forever.

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As business slowly adjust to a new way of working, many new employees starting their roles will be doing so remotely – if you are joining a company or welcoming a new recruit, how should you approach those important first few days? Firstly, whilst the current situation may be unusual, employers should try where possible to follow their normal induction programme:

Provide copies of welcome documents beforehand to enable your new employee to read up ahead of their first day.
Prepare an introduction schedule so they can ‘meet’ key individuals through video calls and Zoom meetings.
Provide login details and copies of any instruction manuals that your new team member will need. Include relevant contact details should they need any support.
Provide a list of key dates and planned meetings and schedule catch-up calls at key points during their first few days so any initial concerns or questions can be addressed.
Prepare a simple ‘how we work together’ guide outlining the best methods of contact, format for any reports or correspondence and any you would like to be followed.

For an employee, starting a new job at any time can be daunting and taking on a role remotely can add additional pressure. Approach your first day as if you were to be based at your workplace:

Make the right impression; dress smart, set up a suitable workspace and be at your desk on time
Think about how you can structure your day – do you need to make adjustments to your usual working hours? Talk these through with your new line manager at your earliest opportunity.

Read your induction material and prepare a list of any questions in advance of your first telephone or video calls.
Check your log in details and familiarise yourself with any systems or programmes that you need to access.
Discuss with your line manager what is expected of you and agree a communications plan so you can feedback on how tasks are
progressing.
If you will be managing others, make introductory calls to each person and establish their current workloads, where your support is needed and how you would like to be updated.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond CONTACT UStoday to discuss your recruitment needs with a member of our team.