Whether you're the new kid on the block at a company with five employees or 50, introductions can be difficult. However, properly introducing yourself is a very important step in building both professional and personal relationships with your coworkers.
You first should find out if your hiring manager is planning on sending out an email or introducing you at a team meeting. Then you will know your next steps, but ultimately it should be up to the human resources department or your supervisor to initiate early introductions. If he or she doesn’t follow through, then you’ll know you’ll need to take matters into your own hands.
Consider these six tips for introducing yourself at a new job.
1. Don't be afraid to ask for a round of introductions
If you haven't been introduced to everyone already, don't be afraid to ask your supervisor if he or she is willing to introduce you to people. You can broach it casually, so as not to sound demanding or upset. Just say, “I’ve started getting a feel for who works here and who I’ll be working with, but I’m still a little unclear. Think you’d have 10 minutes or so for a round of introductions this morning?”
2. Take the initiative to introduce yourself
If your supervisor is inaccessible, use your common sense (or ask around) to figure out who you likely will be interfacing with and then introduce yourself to them in person if possible. If you work at a small company, it should be relatively easy to figure out who you’ll be collaborating with on a day-to-day basis.
Once you establish that much, be sure to introduce yourself in person and be as friendly and as engaging as possible. Your introduction can be simple. You should, of course, state your name and the role you are taking on. It also can be helpful to share a tidbit of your experience (like where you last worked and what you did there) so your co-workers can get a sense of your perspective and processes.
The elevator pitch—a pitch no longer than the time it takes to ride an elevator—you may have used when job searching will work well for quick introductions.
3. Ask for an organization chart
This will give you a clear idea of who you will be reporting to, who you will be managing and who you will be working with laterally. If you work at a large company, the structure of your organization may not be immediately clear.
Don’t be afraid to approach your contact in human resources to ask if he or she can provide an "org chart" so you can get a sense of who you’ll be reporting to and who you might be managing.
4. Acknowledge everyone in your workplace
Ask your supervisor who you will be interfacing with most often and take extra care to make a good impression.
Make yourself available for any questions they might have about you and be receptive to any feedback or insight they might have on your role and your future working relationship. It might even be a good idea to ask co-workers who you’ll work with closely to get a coffee, lunch, or a drink after work to get to know them in a slightly less formal setting.
At the same time, start off on a good foot and make an effort to acknowledge everyone in your workplace, even if it’s just with a smile and a hello.
5. Send a follow-up email
You don't have to follow up with every single individual, but after you are introduced to people who you will be working with closely, it's always a good idea to send along a note.
It doesn't have to be complicated:
"Hi Susan, it was great to meet you today! Thank you for the background information you provided. I look forward to working with you in the future, and please don't hesitate to reach out if you can think of anything else that would be useful to me or if you have any questions.”
6. Don't be offended if you aren't introduced to everyone
Don’t take it personally if not everyone has time for introductions. People are busy, and depending on their status in the company, they may not even be aware (or involved in) the hiring process below them.
That being said, if there’s someone you feel you need to meet, whether it's someone who will be making decisions about your pay and promotions later on, is in your department, is important to get your work done, or was involved in your interview process, don’t hesitate to reach out to your supervisor or human resources contact and ask for, at the least, an email introduction.