7 Tips to Adapt to a New Office Work Culture When You’re Hired

Applying for a full-time job that requires office work may not be for everyone – but it’s still the norm around the world. The global pandemic we’re recovering from has dramatically shifted employee expectations in terms of what constitutes “office work”. According to Ergonomic Trends, 33% of workers don’t want to work for companies that require them to be present in the office full-time. With 26% of employees planning to look for new jobs now that the pandemic has subsided, it’s worth talking about how to adjust to the new office work culture more smoothly.

It’s easy to see why remote work has become popular, however. In the UK, statistical data indicates that 37% of working adults worked from home in 2020, with 85% advocating for hybrid work environments (office/remote split) moving forward. Here’s how you can better adjust to your new office work environment, whether you primarily work from home or on-site in 2022. These tips will help you start your career once you apply for a job and get hired through Jobs OneGlobe.

1. Adopt an Office Routine

A great way to start your days at the office is to adopt a routine of your own. Whether you enjoy having coffee, checking your emails, or reviewing projects before starting to work, do it every morning. Your office work environment will become a place where you spend eight hours each day for at least five days a week.

You need to find ways to make your work somewhat fun and engaging by creating your morning ritual. Your colleagues will also find it charming and distinct that you’re the type of person to adopt a morning routine that they follow without fault. This will open new conversation topics for you with office work colleagues and ensure that you’re accepted as part of the team more quickly.

2. Temper your Professional Standards

You can never know who your colleagues are and how they act as professionals until you’re onboarded with a company. It’s important to act like a professional yourself from day one to establish a good image of yourself for others.

However, you should learn to be tolerant and respectful of others because you can never really know who they are as people. Recent studies indicate that 69% of employees would work harder if they were more appreciated at work, with well-treated employees exhibiting 41% fewer absences from their office work. Set your expectations from the get-go and take small steps to ensure that you’ll integrate into a new company more easily.

“There’s no magic formula for great company culture.
The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated.” – Richard Branson

3. Use Time Management Tools to Focus at Work

When you start coming to a new office work environment, it might be challenging to focus on what you’re doing. This is especially true if you’ve recently graduated or shifted from remote work to office work. However, there are ways for you to focus and still do your job well by using simple time management tools. Smartphone apps designed to help you focus and be more productive are dime a dozen and many of them are free and very easy to use. Here are a few you should check out if you have trouble focusing at work:

• Forest
• Pomodoro Timer
• Rescue Me
• Focus Keeper
• Toggl
  
  

All you need to do is keep your smartphone handy and start using one of these apps during work hours. They’ll effectively block out your access to social media and other distracting apps on your phone while helping you stay focused. As you get more accustomed to your new office work environment, you may not need these apps to stay productive anymore. However, as you get into the habit of using them, working without them down the line may seem unimaginable, so there’s no harm in keeping them handy.

4. Communicate your Worries Objectively

There’s no doubt that you’ll come across something you don’t like in your new job placement. Office work is about mutual trust, respect, and tolerance among coworkers who are sharing common goals. If you do have problems with how certain things are dealt with in your new company, address them objectively.

Approach a colleague or a manager and voice your feedback professionally and without subjectivity. You might not like how certain things are done in the company but if they are a part of its business culture, you’ll have to adjust instead of attempting to change anything. If, however, you notice things such as coworker harassment, intolerance, or discrimination, these worries are legitimate and should be talked about for everyone’s benefit.

“Being a great place to work is the difference between being a good company and a great company.” – Brian Kristofek

5. Keep your Workspace Decluttered

Having a cluttered workspace will lead to lower productivity and motivation for you. Make it a habit to declutter, clean, and otherwise spruce up your desk at least once a week. This will be a great break for you and let your colleagues know that you’re the kind of a person who takes care of their environment.

To keep your office work desk decluttered, limit how many things you have on it. Place all of your trash into the recycling bin as soon as it appears so it doesn’t accumulate on or around your desk. Having a clean workspace will add to your mood and ensure that people see you in a more positive light.

6. Engage in Professional Teambuilding

Employee engagement is high on the list of priorities for many employers but it’s up to you to take the initiative. There are numerous ways for you to interact with your coworkers professionally apart from collaborating on projects. You can engage in online seminars or courses, learn new skills together, or simply have a drink or a meal together during breaks or off-hours.

Interacting with the people from your office work environment will make working with them much more comfortable. You’ll have an opportunity to meet new friends and not just good colleagues. You’ll also learn new things about your industry from them and become better at your job as a result. Don’t neglect teambuilding in your office work environment and you’ll grow as a professional every day.

“Culture is simply a shared way of doing something with a passion.” – Brian Chesky

7. Manage your Job Obligations as Expected

As a new hire, you’ll be under something of a microscope for the first few weeks. Your employer will want to ensure that you are the right person for their office work placement and as such, you should do what’s expected of you. Take a good look at the job listing you applied for initially and try to memorize each key point.

What exactly is expected of you as an SEO specialist, for example? If you applied for a senior software developer’s role, what key responsibilities do you have? Knowing what your job obligations are to the letter will allow you to perform well and show that you are a good fit for the company. As office work becomes more comfortable for you, you’ll understand how your department works, who the main decision-makers are, and how you can contribute to the team. Until then, it’s good to be a bit robotic and simply do what everyone expects you to, your job.

Finding Great Office Work with Jobs OneGlobe

How well you’ll adapt to office work boils down to your standards and expectations. According to online statistics, 52% of employees have stated that they work better without noise being present in their office workspace. However, only 35% of managers and executives attested to this, proving that there’s often a disparity between what employees and managers expect from a workplace culture.

To start, use Jobs OneGlobe to find great work opportunities to pursue. Create your CV and apply for the jobs you believe you’d enjoy doing based on what you can find out about each employer. Start by applying for jobs with business cultures close to what you’d ideally like to see and ask the employers anything you’re interested in during your job interview. While it may take a bit of time for you to land on an office work placement you’ll feel passionate about, be patient. The right job for you is out there on Jobs OneGlobe. All you need to do is start applying!