Congratulations on your first day at work. To impress your boss, let’s tell you what to ask your boss on your first day.
What will I learn?
The first day at work is always nerve-wracking. This is because you are stepping into a new world that you know nothing about. There might be possible dangers around every corner.
What To Ask Your Boss On Your First Day – 25 Things To Ask
To cater to your fear, ask questions to unravel your ambiguities. Here are 35 questions you can ask your boss on your first day:
1. What Is My Main Duty?
You need to know what exactly you need to do. If your duties change during the first month, consider this a red flag and start looking for another job.
This question tells you whether your new job is stable and conducive to career growth.
2. How Can You Use My Skills?
You want to be sure that you aren’t there only because they were short on staff. You need to let your boss know that you can help with more than one thing.
Use this question as an opener and see if their response clarifies your purpose or not.
3. What To Ask Your Boss On Your First Day – What Are The Expectations For This Year And Next Year?
Your boss will give you an idea of your department’s successful/unsuccessful expectations. On its basis, he’ll decide whether he wants to keep you or not for next year.
You need to be aware of this to know your long-term plans at work.
4. Who Will I Be Working With?
This question tells you about the nature of the people you’ll be working with. It also indicates if they’re all going to be cooperative towards you or not.
It will give you an insight into how easy it would be for you to get along with them or not. Every step taken by every individual is favorable for both parties.
5. What Is The Work Environment Like?
Though this question seems too general, it’s essential. Your boss may have nothing much to say except some benefits like:
– Free snacks in the pantry
– A small room to nap during the break hours.
This question doesn’t let you get carried away with perks. It focuses more on working conditions.
6. What To Ask Your Boss On Your First Day – What Is The Success Mantra Of This Company?
If your company has an official policy, asking about it will clarify your role in terms of success. Employees who know this mantra tend to stay loyal to their job.
They deliver excellent results. They understand how their work contributes to the company’s overall growth.
7. Who Would I Be Reporting To?
You need to know who will be giving you direction, guidance, and motivation.
Also, please find out how your boss will be checking your progress since some bosses keep a low profile.
8. What Are The Company’s Policies?
Company policies are for employees and the customers who visit your office.
You will have to follow specific rules and regulations. It may include dress code or how you have to behave in an emergency.
9. What To Ask Your Boss On Your First Day – How Can I Contribute To This Department And Organisation?
This critical question indicates how much you care about your job. It shows that you have some long-term goals in mind that need attention.
Your boss will love this question from you. Have some suggestions accompany it on how to improve things within the department.
They will appreciate it even more. The contributions from staff members are hard to come by.
10. How Does One Get Promoted?
This question tells you when to wait for a promotion. It helps you take specific steps that everyone needs to follow to climb the corporate ladder.
It’s better to know this before your two-month probationary period is over. You can plan your career.
11. What Is Job Security Like?
It would help if you asked this question as much as others. It doesn’t matter how good the salary package, perks, and work environment are.
Job security is important at any cost. This will also let you know whether the company allows employees to take leave without pay (LOP).
12. What To Ask Your Boss On Your First Day – What Are My Benefits?
Talk about benefits, and everyone’s eyes get lit up. Asking this question shows that you’re aware of the perks offered by an organization.
It will strengthen your position when it comes to getting salary hikes etc. Also, find out whether the company provides overtime work or not.
Some companies allow their employees to work extra hours for extra pay while others don’t.
13. How To Develop My Skills And Knowledge At Work?
This question tells you whether there are formal training programs. They enhance individuals’ knowledge levels to fit into organizational expectations better.
It also provides information about the nature of growth opportunities at the workplace. Based on them, you’ll be able to plan your career growth strategy in the future.
14. What Is The Nature Of My Work?
This is also an essential question because it reveals the scope of work you’ll be doing daily. Find out whether you’d be working in isolation or team interactions.
Team interactions can be both formal and informal. Also, ask about deadlines. Some jobs involve completing projects within a given time frame, while others don’t.
For example – your task is to do research work without any deadline.
15. What To Ask Your Boss On Your First Day – What Is The Dress Code?
You need to know this before joining your office to plan accordingly. It will tell you if you only need to purchase clothes from particular brands.
There’s no harm in wearing something different. It also gives clues about stability levels in the company. People who follow strict dress codes tend to be more successful.
16. How Often Will I Meet My Boss?
This question helps you figure out how you’ll be talking to your boss. Likewise, you will know how you will get guidance from him.
It is essential if the boss stays in another department or country than yours. Based on this answer, you can also get hints about the necessary changes required in the work process.
17. How Do You Review Employees’ Performance?
Performance reviews occur at regular intervals. Find out whether it’s per every month, quarter, etc.
You want to keep track of how you fare vis-a-vis others (compared to earlier). You will know when there are chances for improvement or not.
It also gives indications about company policies when it comes to appraisals. Some organizations review the performances at the time of promotion or salary hikes.
18. What To Ask Your Boss On Your First Day – Will I Be Able To Work From Home?
This question helps determine whether the company allows working from home (telecommuting).
It’s a great way to save fuel costs and time commuting to the office every day. It does help in sorting priorities better, sort of.
19 How Can I Get More Inputs About The Company?
It’s always good to try and gather information before joining an organization. Feel free to ask whether there are regular town hall meetings. Do employees share their views about problems the company faces?
This will give you an idea about what to expect during your stint with the company.
20. What Kind Of Feedback Do You Provide To Employees?
This is an indication of whether management follows 360-degree or two-way appraisals. Ensure that there’s a formal system in place for giving constructive feedback.
It shall help you keep track of improvement areas where necessary. It also indicates what people please bosses (eager to please vs. difficult ones).
21. Can I Work From A Different Location If The Need Arises?
Find out if employees can work from other places. It has advantages, especially when travel time between home and office becomes high.
Also, ask how everyone follows the practice. It’s good to be ready in advance if your boss agrees with the suggestion.
22. What To Ask Your Boss On Your First Day – What Are The Opportunities For Professional Development?
This question helps you determine what kind of training employees receive. It may include formal courses, workshops, etc.
Also, get an idea about whether you’ll have more scope for learning new things by asking this question.
No learning occurs in some organizations unless promotion, so choose before choosing one.
23. Who Is Responsible For Employee Benefits?
Find out who takes care of all company perks and benefits. Often, HR isn’t responsible for looking after these things.
It makes life difficult for employees at times. So ask about the authority responsible for providing these benefits.
24. How Do You Reward And Recognize Employees For Their Hard Work?
Most bosses are not that keen on rewarding their employees with salary hikes or bonuses. Look at other forms of recognition.
Perks like these can increase productivity. This also indicates company culture related to rewards and recognition.
25. What To Ask Your Boss On Your First Day – What Are The Opportunities For Career Growth?
You can gauge opportunities for growth by asking this question. Look at the number of people who have moved up over the past five years, etc.
If there are more, the chances are that you will be able to rise in your career. A better incentive to join an organization is if it has a good growth potential to offer.
Conclusion:
Ask relevant questions from your boss on your first day. They enable you to understand the company culture.
Likewise, they tell you how much freedom you’d have in tasks. These questions also help you know how much your boss is responsible for things.
So make sure to ask these questions whenever you join a new organization for better results.
Last Updated on 1 year by Shahzaib Arshad
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