New Hire Advice: 5 Tips for Starting at Spectrum

There’s no doubt about it – starting a new job can be a little overwhelming.

When almost everything is unfamiliar, finding your way around the office, navigating different responsibilities and meeting new coworkers can feel like just the tip of the iceberg.

As a new hire at Spectrum, you’ll be joining us in our mission to create the connections people count on - and with a workforce of more than 95,000 nationwide, you won’t be ‘new’ for too long.

To help you learn more about what it’s like to join our team, we asked a few of our new hires to share some of their advice.

Check out the team’s tips below so you can hit the ground running and start building connections.

1. Take the time to learn about the company. Spectrum is a big, multifaceted organization – a complex combination of historical knowledge, process, procedure and innovation help drive this place forward. In your first week, take the time to really digest the information that’s being shared with you – learn about the company structure, watch the videos and read the PowerPoints. Taking this time to deep dive into the basics of the company will help you get up to speed and avoid any potential stumbling blocks.

2. Ask questions and know what you don’t know. As a new employee, you’re not supposed to know everything. Should you understand the basic skills needed to do the daily requirements of your job? Yes, of course. But the details, the ins and outs, the company-specifics will come later. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand or ask someone to go over something again to make sure you know what you’re doing (and why!). Remember, you want to know enough to be successful, not just enough to do damage.

3. Take notes, make checklists, write it down. Like in all companies, there are bound to be complexities and nuances to the way things are done – and for good reason! To help combat this learning curve, I found it very helpful to make little checklists for various duties and tasks and double-check that I’m following proper procedures as I go. When I’m learning something new every day, this gives me a place to go back to.

4. Embrace the power of the ‘meet and greet.’ Sure, it can seem forced at times – the new hire sets up a 30-minute check in to learn about your role, responsibilities and how you’ll be working together. But these introductory sessions, whether they’re formal meetings or casual coffee chats, can be invaluable as you learn how to navigate your colleagues, stakeholders and business partners. Taking this time to learn about the people you’ll be working with can help forge strong relationships and give you a friendly face to recognize as you go. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Spectrum – a connectivity company – places great value on building connections.

5. Learn as much as you can. This goes without saying, but when you start, buckle up, listen, and learn. There is a lot going on – maybe you’re an industry vet and this is all old hat, or maybe you’re new to the cable world and it’s a forest of acronyms. Either way, the thing that has helped me most is keeping my ears (and mind) open and learning as much as I can. One thing about Spectrum– it is staffed with some of the smartest people you’ll ever have the pleasure of working with. Lean on their knowledge and experience.

If you are interested in joining Spectrum, check out our latest job opportunities here: jobs.spectrum.com