Noobie contractor : question about questions edition
October 28, 2015 3:35 AM Subscribe
Hi mefites!
When you start a new role where part of the brief is that you absolutely must hit the ground running and be extremely autonomous – what are the questions you would ask in your first few days to give yourself an understanding of how that company works?
Hi mefites!
So it’s finally happened, I’ve quit my super-stable, well-paid, going-somewhere job to become a contractor. I have landed a sweet contract in a good company in an AMAZING city for 6 months and am both terrified and excited about where my life is about to go.
I’ll take care of the admin, but I would love to know the answer to the following question :
When you start a new role where part of the brief is that you absolutely must hit the ground running and be extremely autonomous – what are the questions you would ask in your first few days to give yourself an understanding of how that company works?
And this could be “where are the loos?” or “please provide me with a high-level overview of this solution”.
I have my own ideas, but as I’m new to this (contracting, not the type of work I will be doing which is business analysis with a side salad of data analysis) I would love to hear from some grizzled old hands. Or indeed, anyone.
Hi mefites!
So it’s finally happened, I’ve quit my super-stable, well-paid, going-somewhere job to become a contractor. I have landed a sweet contract in a good company in an AMAZING city for 6 months and am both terrified and excited about where my life is about to go.
I’ll take care of the admin, but I would love to know the answer to the following question :
When you start a new role where part of the brief is that you absolutely must hit the ground running and be extremely autonomous – what are the questions you would ask in your first few days to give yourself an understanding of how that company works?
And this could be “where are the loos?” or “please provide me with a high-level overview of this solution”.
I have my own ideas, but as I’m new to this (contracting, not the type of work I will be doing which is business analysis with a side salad of data analysis) I would love to hear from some grizzled old hands. Or indeed, anyone.
Just some thoughts, not necessarily from the contracting perspective, but as someone who's recently joined a new company in a different sector:
How does this company make money? ie what are the bosses measuring, what do they care about - you learn a lot about the motivation of people and from that the politics in and amongst departments from "following the money"
What is the product, what do the customers think? If there's a marketing head to speak to, get an insight from them into the "what are we offering, what's the USP etc" - once you debunk the marketing speak, you'll get more about what the business is trying to achieve
Org charts - trying to find people in the right department at the right level to get things moving can be difficult, so org charts are key. Expected to hit the ground running can mean expected to get round and introduce yourself to the right people and build some relationships and if no-one's doing introductions, then you'll need a map.
Beyond that, expected hours of work (which culturally may differ from the contract - do people come in early and/or stay late); what do people do at lunch - is it a canteen type of place, is eating at the desk encouraged or frowned upon.
posted by khites at 4:32 AM on October 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
How does this company make money? ie what are the bosses measuring, what do they care about - you learn a lot about the motivation of people and from that the politics in and amongst departments from "following the money"
What is the product, what do the customers think? If there's a marketing head to speak to, get an insight from them into the "what are we offering, what's the USP etc" - once you debunk the marketing speak, you'll get more about what the business is trying to achieve
Org charts - trying to find people in the right department at the right level to get things moving can be difficult, so org charts are key. Expected to hit the ground running can mean expected to get round and introduce yourself to the right people and build some relationships and if no-one's doing introductions, then you'll need a map.
Beyond that, expected hours of work (which culturally may differ from the contract - do people come in early and/or stay late); what do people do at lunch - is it a canteen type of place, is eating at the desk encouraged or frowned upon.
posted by khites at 4:32 AM on October 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
+1 for "how does this company make money?" - it sounds super basic but it's amazing how many people may not know that coming in and how complex the answer really can be!
Also "who are the main contacts for x" and building up a list of who you should be consulting about particular topics - especially when there's more than one person, so you make sure that you're not accidentally leaving anyone out.
posted by ukdanae at 5:08 AM on October 28, 2015
Also "who are the main contacts for x" and building up a list of who you should be consulting about particular topics - especially when there's more than one person, so you make sure that you're not accidentally leaving anyone out.
posted by ukdanae at 5:08 AM on October 28, 2015
If the company has any publicly-available information (like 10Qs, etc.) definitely read those. Any financial reporting, even if it isn't directly related to your job, will give a great overview of what the company is doing well and isn't doing well.
Also, I'd ask (when I get there) if there are any org charts I could see, as well as if there are standard templates the company uses for just about anything. You'd be amazed at how much slower things go when you start to work on something yourself and you have to re-do it all because it doesn't fit company standard.
posted by xingcat at 6:59 AM on October 28, 2015
Also, I'd ask (when I get there) if there are any org charts I could see, as well as if there are standard templates the company uses for just about anything. You'd be amazed at how much slower things go when you start to work on something yourself and you have to re-do it all because it doesn't fit company standard.
posted by xingcat at 6:59 AM on October 28, 2015
I'm assuming you already know about the industry you work in.
As a long-time freelancer, the things to know that help me do a good job up front are: what are your key deliverables, exactly? If possible, do they have templates for similar specs/reports/presentations so you can see their house style and exactly what they're looking for? To whom does this work need to be delivered, and how -- email, courier, talking through it in a meeting? When are your deadlines, and are there milestones along the way you need to hit first? Are there status meetings or calls you should be a part of? When are they and who organizes them? What does their specific in-house approvals process look like, and who gets final signoff? How should you approach change orders or conflicting priorities, and who gets the final say?
And how will they pay you -- do they need an invoice or do they have an in-house time tracking system you'll be using? What triggers an invoice, time or deliverables? What needs to be on your invoices? Who do you submit invoices or time slips to, and do they need to be approved, and how long does it take them to get paid?
posted by Andrhia at 7:32 AM on October 28, 2015
As a long-time freelancer, the things to know that help me do a good job up front are: what are your key deliverables, exactly? If possible, do they have templates for similar specs/reports/presentations so you can see their house style and exactly what they're looking for? To whom does this work need to be delivered, and how -- email, courier, talking through it in a meeting? When are your deadlines, and are there milestones along the way you need to hit first? Are there status meetings or calls you should be a part of? When are they and who organizes them? What does their specific in-house approvals process look like, and who gets final signoff? How should you approach change orders or conflicting priorities, and who gets the final say?
And how will they pay you -- do they need an invoice or do they have an in-house time tracking system you'll be using? What triggers an invoice, time or deliverables? What needs to be on your invoices? Who do you submit invoices or time slips to, and do they need to be approved, and how long does it take them to get paid?
posted by Andrhia at 7:32 AM on October 28, 2015
Whether it's trying to understand a role, product, process, or whatever, I always ask "What is the problem that this [blank] is intended to solve?" It gives a little more context than just "What does [blank] do?" or "Why is [blank] important?" and helps to flag situations where the work that's assigned isn't necessarily the work that needs attention.
posted by ochenk at 8:05 AM on October 28, 2015
posted by ochenk at 8:05 AM on October 28, 2015
I think WHO is the important question rather than WHAT or WHY. "Who is the best contact for this?" or actually precede with "Who is the person who knows what everyone does?" It's usually the office manager. The person who won't mind giving you history and context when you are flummoxed.
Also what not to do: Don't start making suggestions. I know this is impossible but instead of suggesting "Why don't we XXXXY?" ask "Have we given any thought to XXXXY?"
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:30 AM on October 28, 2015
Also what not to do: Don't start making suggestions. I know this is impossible but instead of suggesting "Why don't we XXXXY?" ask "Have we given any thought to XXXXY?"
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:30 AM on October 28, 2015
Best answer: I've freelanced in many companies over the years... From experience, I'd recommend some questions on the practicalities that can trip you up in the first weeks:
- Where are the printers? Which does A3, which does colour? How do I refill paper? Is there an etiquette around which department uses which printer? And related, is there a stationery cupboard, and if so, what can I use?
- If there is a kitchen, canteen, or other food facilities, who can use what, and at what times?
- Can I leave a laptop on my desk overnight? Related, are there any lockers / lockable desk drawers / other storage spaces that I can use?
- What are the names of the meeting rooms? Do they have informal names as well as official names? Where are they all located? (So many times I've been invited to a meeting with no idea where that is). How do I book meeting rooms?
- Do I need a ID / swipe card / keycard to access the office, or parts of it? If so, which parts require card access? Which doors are alarmed? Where will I potentially get trapped in the office if I let a door slam behind me with no keycard? (Trust me this happens frequently and it's pretty embarrassing to have to call someone to let you out).
- What time does the office open in the morning, and when does it shut in the evening? Is it open weekends if access is needed? i.e. not just office hours, but when do doors lock and alarms come on?
- Who do I need to invoice to get paid? What is the payment schedule? How do I fill in timesheets? Whose desk do I near to hover by to make sure I get paid on time?
- Who is my head of department? Are they different from my team leader / line manager? Who is the head of team personnel allocation? i.e. trying to establish who to report to in the times between being assigned to project teams.
- And on finding out who your line manager / head of department is, ask them: are there template deliverables, if so, in what format, where do they live on the shared drive, are there brand guidelines I need to adhere to, etc?
posted by iivix at 10:32 AM on October 28, 2015
- Where are the printers? Which does A3, which does colour? How do I refill paper? Is there an etiquette around which department uses which printer? And related, is there a stationery cupboard, and if so, what can I use?
- If there is a kitchen, canteen, or other food facilities, who can use what, and at what times?
- Can I leave a laptop on my desk overnight? Related, are there any lockers / lockable desk drawers / other storage spaces that I can use?
- What are the names of the meeting rooms? Do they have informal names as well as official names? Where are they all located? (So many times I've been invited to a meeting with no idea where that is). How do I book meeting rooms?
- Do I need a ID / swipe card / keycard to access the office, or parts of it? If so, which parts require card access? Which doors are alarmed? Where will I potentially get trapped in the office if I let a door slam behind me with no keycard? (Trust me this happens frequently and it's pretty embarrassing to have to call someone to let you out).
- What time does the office open in the morning, and when does it shut in the evening? Is it open weekends if access is needed? i.e. not just office hours, but when do doors lock and alarms come on?
- Who do I need to invoice to get paid? What is the payment schedule? How do I fill in timesheets? Whose desk do I near to hover by to make sure I get paid on time?
- Who is my head of department? Are they different from my team leader / line manager? Who is the head of team personnel allocation? i.e. trying to establish who to report to in the times between being assigned to project teams.
- And on finding out who your line manager / head of department is, ask them: are there template deliverables, if so, in what format, where do they live on the shared drive, are there brand guidelines I need to adhere to, etc?
posted by iivix at 10:32 AM on October 28, 2015
See if you can get the contact info of the person you're replacing, and email or call with questions once in a while. This may not work for all situations but if you're replacing a person who's on mat leave or was promoted, it may be doable. If so, batch your questions and think them through well, to minimize how many impositions you make on their time, thank them profusely and pass on all the compliments you hear about them so they know that they are missed at the office.
If your predecessor was fired, see if you can guess why (don't be too nosey, but pay attention). Research them and predict what errors they may have made or where they might not have been a good fit, and don't reproduce those errors.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:27 AM on October 28, 2015
If your predecessor was fired, see if you can guess why (don't be too nosey, but pay attention). Research them and predict what errors they may have made or where they might not have been a good fit, and don't reproduce those errors.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:27 AM on October 28, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you so much everyone – all of this is the kind of gold that I was hoping for. I will put all of these suggestions to good use and they will almost certainly help me be more efficient, and possibly even more importantly, not breach some kind of office etiquette
Thanks again chaps
posted by mrmulliner at 3:57 AM on October 29, 2015
Thanks again chaps
posted by mrmulliner at 3:57 AM on October 29, 2015
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The faster you can discover the way that the organization implicitly expects you to fit into their workflow, the faster you can be productive. (This especially applies to short-term gigs like yours, where you have neither the time nor the remit to attempt to influence the culture.)
posted by Fraxas at 3:59 AM on October 28, 2015 [3 favorites]