Ask the Recruiter: 5 Ways to Adjust to Your New Epic Consultant Assignment
No one likes to be the new person in the building, but if you let a new job teach you to become a better consultant and coworker, you’ll feel at home before you know it. Plus, setting a good example about workplace adjustments might change the outlook of everyone around you, according to careers expert Breana Orland, having a positive attitude in your new workplace can improve your health, lower stress levels and even rub off on your peers, keeping them happier. If you find yourself nervous about starting your new job, read on for how to quickly integrate into a team and hit the ground running at your new Epic consultant assignment.
Read any onboarding documents before you start. If you’re employed through a staffing firm like Healthcare IT Leaders, your recruiter will provide you with important, thorough onboarding documents that tell you where the client is on the project, a brief background of the client, the next site go-live dates, what’s going on with the emergency medical record system they’re using and human resources information like where to get your identification badge, said Caitlin Gentry, Consultant Advisor.
Meet, greet and share contact info. When you meet your project team and project director or project lead, introduce yourself and store their mobile numbers, email addresses and office numbers (if available), advised Neika Powell, Consultant Advisor for Healthcare IT Leaders. Those connections may come in handy if you need help in your early days on the job, says Powell.
Check in with your recruiter to receive feedback. At the end of your first few days or first week on the job, call your recruiter to ask how you’re doing, said Gentry. It’s not annoying; it’s smart –the recruiter will let you know if you are keeping up with the rest of the team and meeting expectations so you can adjust. After that, if the assignment is a year or more long, call your recruiter once a month to receive feedback, and if the assignment is shorter than a year, call every two to three weeks. After a few phone calls, you should be able to check in less often.
Invite project team members to lunch. First, learn their names and ask them something about themselves, resisting the opportunity to talk about yourself unless prompted, said Dimple Kochikar, Director of Recruiting. Even if you don’t know your coworkers well, ask one or two of them to grab lunch or coffee with you. It’s amazing how personal walls are let down when you get outside the office setting, and the teamwork attitude will help the camaraderie feeling and synergism when you’re at work. Plus, your peers can likely teach you things about your job, and vice versa.
Further your on-the-job education. Read every article you can about your position or the healthcare IT industry from places like Healthcare IT News or HIMSS. If applicable, familiarize yourself with the work the previous consultant completed (which is possibly available on-site), and review as many available reports as possible, Gentry said. Anticipate future challenges – and likely experience less frustrations – by better understanding your job functions and nuances.