New boss? Here’s How to Get Them on Side

By December 13, 2017For Talent

Your manager has decided to move on and someone else is taking their place. Now all you have to do is establish a positive and productive relationship with your new boss without seeming like a total suck-up. Easy right? Well, not always.

Building a relationship with your new boss starts from day one. Here’s how to get it right.

Don’t be selfish

It’s important to start off on the right foot. Afterall, people make assumptions within the first few moments of meeting someone. You need to make sure that your first impression is a positive one.

Remember that while this person may be your senior, they are also starting a brand new job. They probably feel slightly overwhelmed and maybe even a bit anxious. Put yourself in their shoes. Figure out ways that you can help them to settle in. This will help you to build a rapport from day one.

Search for the common ground

Before your new boss starts you should add them on LinkedIn so that you know a little bit about them. Find out the places they have worked before or what their interests are. This will give you talking points during those awkward first days and show them that you are interested in their experience.

You can’t expect to build a relationship overnight but a few thoughtful and well-placed questions can help you to find common ground.

Suss out their communication style

During the first few days, you should ask your new boss how they like to communicate. Do they prefer phone calls, Slack, email or good old-fashioned face-to-face contact? Everyone is different and at least if you know their preferred style you will be able to stay in the loop much easier. Finding a working rhythm may take a few weeks but this is a great first step.

Get the basics right

If you really want to impress your new boss then you need to get the basics right. Show up to work on time every day (early if you can), take your usual lunch break, finish your work on time and be polite to other people in the office. These are the little things that you might take for granted when you’ve been in a job for a while but you can guarantee that they are the things that a new boss will be looking out for.


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Author Alice Murray

Alice Murray is a Content Creator at Jobbio with a passion for Employer Branding and Graduate Culture. She's a keen traveller and a self-proclaimed lazy runner.

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