Vol. 11: On-Assignment Success

Employee Insights Volume 11: On Assignment success! 

Congratulations! You crushed your interview and have been extended an offer for your new role and are now ready to begin your assignment with FLAG! We trust our Onboarding team will treat you well while ensuring all necessary back-end details like your application, Direct Deposit, among other important items. Your recruiter will be sure to provide all the details for your 1st day. 

While this may not be your first time starting a new job, part of the candidate experience around FLAG is built on long term success beyond the assignment. This means we invest in preparing our candidates with Universal Best Practices, to succeed at work whether with FLAG or not. 

Before starting a temporary assignment or a contract to hire role, it is important to have a proper frame of mind before starting. Many people have the misconception that these roles never materialize into full time opportunities and therefore don’t merit the same level of seriousness. The reality is that EVERY job is performance based. Whether hired “Direct”, or “contract to hire”, performance and attitude are the main drivers hiring managers use to determine whether you will be a good fit for the team. Even the occasional “temporary” assignment, can turn into a long-term full-time opportunity if you stand out enough! Realize this, everyone is in the market for value! If you can help a team directly with your efforts and indirectly with your cooperation, etc, hiring managers are constantly extending offers to individuals who set themselves aside. 

With that in mind, lets dive into this Masterclass reviewing the Best Practices you can use to stand out while on assignment. This list is also universal and is not limited to temporary, or Contract to hire roles, as these practices are more behavior based. 

1. Communication 

1. Attendance & Punctuality:
   If you won’t be attending work for illness or other reasons, provide as ample time of a heads up as you possibly can. If you will be late as well, be sure to communicate with your recruiter and supervisor if possible. 

2. Upcoming Appointments
   With the exception of emergencies, for any appointments, be sure to give your supervisor at least 2 weeks notice if possible.

3. Communicate effectively
   Be direct, concise, bring up your challenge, along with your proposal if needed, otherwise, develop a cadence of providing feedback to your supervisor.

4. Solicit feedback
   After your work is done, take the time to ask for feedback with the intent of making small improvements and getting better at your work. 

2. Add value

1. Proactiveness
   Once you understand your job and importance to the team, don’t wait to be told what to do at every turn, have a certain amount of ownership of your role and make decisions within the scope of your job.

2. Exceed expectations
   If your goal is to grow and stand out, don’t be a clock watcher that does “enough”. Your team, and company employ you to deliver so the company can follow through on its commitments to clients, and in turn, US. Do as best a jo you can and seek for ways to improve, remember, you’re learning something too! 

3. Align with Company values
   Understand what these are. Success at work may not be as tricky as we might think. Many company’s are very vocal about what’s important to them and what kind of traits they value in their team mates. Every organization has a different plan and view on how to get to that next level. Learn what these traits are and focus on the ones you are naturally inclined towards. 

3. Networking

1. Consider all the people in your department, both up and down the companies organizational chart. Also, what about all the other departments that support the operation? You are directly or indirectly connected to so e of these colleagues, get to know them and build a positive working relationship with them. Don’t forget outside vendors or clients! Chances are that you will come across the same people in your industry time and time again. Some of your colleagues will move on to other opportunities; be sure to be in good professional standing so they can facilitate future work with you. 

4. Develop Professionally

1. Every job or profession has room for improvement! Whether your role is entry level, highly technical, or requires years of experience, there is always someone that is the best performer at that job. Why are they better? Invest in your craft and cultivate a skillset. Then, and only then, can you expect a return on your investment.