New Beginnings: Starting a Career Adventure with HBA Consulting

• Some tips for new employees as they begin their new role.
• Some guidance from a Human Resource consulting perspective for employers when they employ a new person.

Often, when starting a new job, the new employee can feel like they shouldn't ask questions or seek out information from their new employer as it might seem like they are being a 'bit pushy' or that they might seem to be giving an impression that they are cautious about whether the new employer is treating them fairly and correctly.

Similarly, for an employer, starting a new employee can provide an ideal opportunity to establish great employee relations, but it can sometimes be difficult to get right, and to ensure that all they key issues are covered off to ensure that they feel comfortable and informed right from the start.

In reality, being prepared with a range of key questions to ask either the manager or the Human Resource Management team can enable you and your new employer/employee to get off to a good start, with everyone clear on what they need to know and what they need to do to make a success of the new role from 'day 1'.

Aside from the mainstream industrial relations advice and Enterprise Agreement management processes that they are well known for, the Federal Fair Work Ombudsman plays a key role in advising employees on their rights, usually after they have struck a problem or have raised a concern. This responsive advisory role is an important one for the Ombudsman.

However, the Ombudsman also produces resources that are designed to assist employees and employees to understand their human resource management rights and responsibilities and to proactively consider a range of possible employment related issues and situations and try to 'head them off' before they might become problematic, and potentially result in disputation or some other type of dispute resolution process like workplace mediation.

A recent publication 'A guide to starting a new job' provides some really good, practical tips and ideas for employees as they get ready to begin their new job. It is also useful for employers to ensure that they have thought through the key issues for new employees before that turn up for 'day 1'.

It also covers off advice for persons or students (and employers in relation to what they need to consider) about:

• Unpaid work trials
• Student placements
• Work experience and internships

As well as the advice in the booklet, there are also links to:

• You tube videos that provide information for young workers
• Free on line training that takes around 20-30 minutes to complete, that takes young workers through a range of information to consider and be aware of.

All of this information can be found by following this link http://www.fairwork.gov.au/find-help-for/young-workers-and-students to the Fair Work Ombudsman's website.