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Arriving late, wearing inappropriate clothes – and bumping a colleague’s vehicle in the parking lot are among the biggest blunders made by employees on their first day at work, a study has found.
A poll of almost 3,000 workers revealed almost half have made a bad first impression after having a terrible or humiliating start to a new job.
Others arrived to find they were completely over-dressed, got lost en-route to the office and said something inappropriate because they were nervous.
But 95 percent feel it’s important to make a good first impression on others when starting a new job, with 82 percent believing they’re more likely to make a positive impact on their first day if they know their clothing is looking spot on.
The study was commissioned by 4imprint, as part of its “First Impressions” campaign, having recently released a new range of corporate clothing to help organizations and their employees create a strong and lasting impression.
A spokesperson for 4imprint said, “Starting a new job can be intimidating for a variety of reasons. From not knowing who you’ll be working with, not being 100 percent sure how to get to your new workplace and worries over what to wear can make for a nerve-wracking first day.
“Our study found the importance of what you wear to work can make you feel as comfortable as possible on a first day and help create a great first impression.”
Turning up wildly over or even under-dressed was among the mistakes new workers do on a first day, with more than seven in 10 wishing they had a uniform for work, in a bid to make their first day – and consequently first impressions – easier to manage.
Other first-day nightmares to appear in the list of first day nightmares include having a wardrobe malfunction, finding there was no allocated desk or computer to work at and being late due to nasty traffic.
A third of workers said they have been introduced to someone on day one at work, then immediately forgotten their name, while a fifth of workers have been so nervous they’ve ended up blurting out something inappropriate or stupid – leading to quizzical looks from colleagues.
Meanwhile, others have accidently damaged company property, been over-friendly or had to ask how to turn the computer on.
But researchers found those who excelled on their first day put it down to being fully-prepared and sufficiently knowledgeable about the company. And when it comes to making a good impression, 58 percent say arriving early works wonders, while 57 percent said they try to ask intelligent questions.
The spokesperson for 4imprint added, “A decision can be made about a person within 26 seconds of meeting them – which is why appearance is so important. Corporate work wear can provide reassurance to new starters and if your organization operates in the service or retail sector then staff uniforms can also be vitally important for customers.”
EMPLOYEES’ TOP FIRST DAY NIGHTMARES
• Learned someone’s name then immediately forgotten it
• Got someone’s name wrong
• Was just too nervous
• Finding they had no computer/desk to work at
• Said something stupid due to nerves
• Arrived at the wrong work address
• Turned up completely overdressed compared to everyone else
• Wore shoes that ended up being agonizingly painful by the end of the day
• Had to have something simple explained numerous times
• Arrived late due to traffic
• Being told they weren’t the “first choice candidate”
• Forgotten the code to get in or out of the office
• Got there late due to public transport problems
• Put their foot in their mouth during a conversation with someone
• Turned up completely underdressed compared to everyone else
• Been over-friendly
• Accidentally sent a sensitive email as a “staff all”
• Said something inappropriate to a new colleague
• Got there late due to other reasons
• Damaged company property
• Took too long on a lunch break
• Got the company name wrong
• Went to the wrong address
• Had to ask how to turn their computer on
• Had a wardrobe malfunction like trousers splitting
• Took a personal call that was frowned upon
• Wore a tie when nobody else was wearing one
• Had to leave early due to a family emergency