Chat with new line manager before starting role - AIBU to ask you what questions I should mention?

[HRVY]

Hi all,

Just been offered a new job, and have a call scheduled today with my new line manager to chat through the role.

I’ve thought of a few questions to ask, but just posting here in case there are any others you feel I should add?

Any and all suggestions welcome :) (and my current list of questions is below). Thanks!

• What does success look like in role
• How is performance evaluated in role
• What are the challenges in the role
• Do you expect the main responsibilities in this role to change in the next 6 months to year
• What do you enjoy most about working in the role

I would be trying to discover more about their preferred management style- do they prefer frequent updates or a less frequent more formal update etc. Also, don't have too heavy a conversation! Perhaps ask if there are any traditions that the team enjoys - dress down Friday, cake days etc. Good luck in your new role

Eek, don't ask what success looks like. As a senior level manager I would cringe if someone asked me this. Success is different for everyone, it's subjective.
I would ask how they and the team interact, are there daily meetings, weekly. Ask how the manager likes to manage, tell them how you like to be managed. Ask what you need to pick up straight away, are there any fast-approaching deadlines that you need to be aware of and pick up as soon as you start. Are there any social plans for the team, if you are working remotely will you have the opportunity to meet them soon. Do they have any guidance to send you in advance to read up on. Good luck with the new job!

I think your questions looks fine.

You might also ask more generally about how the team works together (ie. What regular meetings, solo work vs team work etc). What they're working on at the moment is a good question.

It's difficult to think without knowing what the actual role is though.

Unless this is a very pressured area, this seems a bit ott for a chat with a new manager in an organisation you already work for. Any chat I've had with a new start is more about helping them settle in, explaining the background too their role in more depth than at interview and setting out who they should meet first, what initial training they might need etc - but all very informal - I've never had a new start ask about performance management etc at a first meeting

Have you accepted the job or are you still considering it? That probably changes the questions a little.

What does success look like is a perfectly sensible question.

As @Vikingintraining says it’s subjective which is exactly why you ask your manage! You want (and need) to be their version of success. Not your own.

what does success look like???? what does that even mean? Why not just ask about the team and the kind of work you'll be doing and just be a bit more friendly?

I think your questions sound a little bit heavy. I would suggest asking more about the role and the team. They'll be time to learn about expectations whilst you settle in.

You also need to know the practicalities for the first day:

Can you get into the building without an ID badge? Do you need to meet someone at a particular place?
If you work with ICT, how do you get your log in details and any equipment you'll need, especially if you are working from home?
Are there induction programmes you need to follow, e.g. online health & safety videos?
What are their current Covid rules, e.g. do you need to be doing Lateral Flow tests, turning the Track and Trace app off or on?
Who do you go to with any questions?

I think some of those are questions you should have asked at interview in order to help your decision making - not really suitable for an on-boarding chat tbh.

Team culture (work from home, socialising, dress down Friday, tea and coffee kitty), work tasks for the next few weeks and how you'll be able to formally or informally meet other teams you'll be working with. They're more suitable.

I had one of these last week.
I just said how pleased I was to get the role and what I was especially looking forward to. Then I just actively listened to what the manager said and asked follow up questions- we covered team culture, how things are going at the moment, challenges for the rest of the year. Quite an organic conversation. Decide if this is the right person to have the conversation with about practicalities, hours, pay, flexibility, IT etc.- it may or may not be.

If you actually have the job, then surely you should just be taking the opportunity to (virtually) meet your new manager in an informal way?

If you steam in there with a set of questions you've pulled off a shit advice website for interviews you are going to look a bit silly. Just take it as it comes and don't overthink it.

Eek, don't ask what success looks like. As a senior level manager I would cringe if someone asked me this.

Absolutely! I'm a manager, and I'd be so put off by a new person asking this and red flags would start waving!

The chat should be about practicalities of the role & the team; communication preferences & schedule; current projects underway, and crucially, what you'll be doing in your role.

It's about tangible, meaningful topics. Talking about 'success' and similar sounds like you're googling questions to ask in an interview. But you've got the job & now it's time to discuss the nuts & bolts.

Don't be afraid to ask procedural questions too eg lunch breaks or how they deal with wfh, if that's happening at present. I sometimes find that new people are nervous to ask really simple stuff but then worry about it; as a manager I should ideally think of these questions but I might forget them!

Actually I've read all your questions now and wouldn't ask any of them!

If you're definitely taking the job, discuss practicalities. If you are considering it, ask about the role, what you'll work on, the projects ahead, day to day things. Thus will help you decide.

It's the stuff you do every day & the people you do it with that matter.

Team culture (work from home, socialising, dress down Friday, tea and coffee kitty), work tasks for the next few weeks and how you'll be able to formally or informally meet other teams you'll be working with. They're more suitable.

All good points!

Agree with PP who say that some of these sound more like interview questions before you got the job- it's very admirable that you want to be so well prepared but you've got the job, relax! Your line manager will just want to get to know you as a person, and it's a chance to find out about the practicalities and day to day of the role.

What is the purpose of the chat, have you already accepted the job?

If I was the manager I'd feel like I was being a little grilled with those questions, they aren't really day 1 need to knows are they.

Are you going to be going in to work or WFH? If you are going to work with the manager in person I would only want to know the practicalities of the first day, the rest you'd find out in good time once you get started

Wait until you have started to think about framing that list of questions. Some will come up with objective setting. If there isn't a formal performance management process then find other ways to raise it. Agree with others if a new starter landed in with those when I was explaining the induction process I would be wondering about our recruitment methods.

Thanks all!

I agree about the idea of an informal chat.

I just thought it would be handy to have these other questions, as these are all things I’d be interested to find out, but I agree asking too many of them risks the conversation becoming a bit too heavy!

I’ll probably just ask a couple of these and then see what the manager says. I’d like to ask the ‘success’ question, as I think it’s quite valuable, but agree too many questions along those lines are a bit dull (and I could probably rephrase the success question a bit better than the way it’s currently phrased!)

I’ve already accepted the job but am still waiting to complete pre employment checks.

I agree on reflection that these questions are all pretty heavy-duty and can wait till the first day/week!

I think I’ll stick with asking what projects they’re working on and asking about the team!

You could ask what do I need to know?

Worth knowing about things in the team that could be sensitive, for example if someone has a disability, or does not like foul language one bit, or has childcare responsibilities that means they work different hours. To give some examples.

Rather than the success q perhaps ask what the teams objectives are this year, how they filter down to your own objectives and how they are measured?

Just to say I agree that those questions are fine but more appropriate for interview stage where you're still trying to figure the company out...at this stage you need to know more specifics.
I.e. rather than asking what success looks like, ask what key metrics the team performance or job performance is measured by...? For example, my job has billing targets. Or you could ask about expectations for the first week/ first month/first 6 months

@maddening

Rather than the success q perhaps ask what the teams objectives are this year, how they filter down to your own objectives and how they are measured?

Yea. This is a much better question

Your questions are important but not necessarily for right now, you haven’t even started yet!

Agree with others to keep it informal and ask general team information.
Will you have a buddy to ask questions?, What will happen in the first week/month?, What will be your immediate priorities?,
How is the team structured and who will you be meeting when you first start?