This Working Life How to start strong in a new job
14 snips
Feb 1, 2026 Jonathan Wolfrey, HR leader and managing partner who focuses on onboarding best practices. Kate Flaherty, career development professional and leadership coach who advises on wellbeing and early role strategy. They discuss prep before day one, what employers should set up, first-day behaviours to avoid, buddies and quick wins, managing cognitive load and handling probation conversations.
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Make Safety The First-Day Priority
- Managers must prioritise psychological and practical safety in week one to reduce new-hire regret.
- Provide clear belonging cues, amenities, and a comfortable introduction before expecting full productivity.
Use Managers And Buddies Intentionally
- Assign a manager to own onboarding and pair the new hire with a shadow colleague for informal learning.
- Use a buddy to answer practical day-to-day questions about how things really work.
Be Kind To Yourself After Day One
- Be kind to yourself after day one and return the next day knowing it takes time to build relationships.
- Expect exhaustion, normalise it, and give yourself permission to recover gradually.