Success in your first 90 days

by Mitch Byers :: December 10th, 2007 :: Posted in Enhancing Your Career |

I recently requested a white paper from Cox Learning Group. The company specializes in helping organizations with their employment turnover and retention issues. The “Smart Steps for Creating an Employee Retention Strategy” article had a couple of statistics that I wanted to share with job seekers.

Deloitte conducted a survey of U.S. companies and concluded:

1. It takes up to 6 months for a new employee to become assimilated into their new role
2. It takes 18 months for a new employee to become fully integrated into the company’s culture
3. It takes 24 months for the employee to understand the business and its strategy

The article later quotes a 2003 survey indicating 2/3 of the workforce do not sufficiently identify with or feel motivated to drive the objectives and goal of their employer. This corroborates with other articles stating around 70% of employees are less than fully engaged.

Wow, as someone in job transition, these are not good numbers. For most, your new position is going to be an uphill battle. Here are a couple of ideas to assure yourself you are in the 30% of the ENGAGED employees and that you are moving up the career ladder and not falling off of it.

1) Accept a position you can dedicate at least two to three years to. If you get the sense in the interview process you can’t make that commitment, then pass and hold out for something better. You don’t want your job to drag down your career. You want it to propel you forward. That takes a committed investment on your part.

2) 24 months is a long time to fully assimilate and develop to the point where you are providing maximum value to the company. I think a fully engaged employee can fast track and knock off 8 to 10 months. But besides a solid commitment, you also need a plan. Before starting, develop a 90-day initial ramp up plan. You may be thinking this is the responsibility of the hiring company. Sure they are going to give you direction, but you are ultimately responsible for your career success. Make sure you get it right the first time.

An associate recently recommended, The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. Though it is geared towards company leaders, it is an excellent guide for anyone about to take a dive into a new phase of their career. I hope these ideas will push you into the 30% league of engaged employees. When you are on your way up, the career ladder isn’t so hard to climb.