THE 45-DAY TEST

MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The first two months in a new position can be a crucial time for professionals to prove their value and fit with the firm, a new survey by The Creative Group suggests. Advertising and marketing executives interviewed said it takes about nine weeks, on average, to determine if an employee is well suited for the job.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 500 telephone interviews -- approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

Advertising and marketing executives were asked, "On average, how many weeks would you say someone is in a role before you know he or she is a good fit for the job?" The mean response was nine weeks.

"In a fast-paced business environment, fitting in swiftly at a new job is crucial," said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. "From the start, employers are closely evaluating the new hire's ability to do the job well and, perhaps more importantly, collaborate with other employees. Taking note of the nuances and unwritten rules within an organization can help professionals acclimate more quickly."

The Creative Group offers five tips to help professionals promptly adapt to a new work environment:

1. Clarify expectations. Within the first couple of days, meet with your manager to discuss your responsibilities, immediate priorities and how your position fits into the company as a whole. Also, ask how performance will be evaluated and request feedback several weeks into the role to make sure you're on the right track.
2. Watch how people work. Spend some time studying when employees generally arrive at and leave the office, their preferred communication styles and how they collaborate. Is instant messaging the norm or are conversations generally face to face?
3. Make friends. While you want to get to know everyone on your team, pay particular attention to those you'll need to rely on heavily. Reach out to project leaders and other key influencers, colleagues with whom you'll frequently collaborate, and potential mentors who can share with you the secrets of success in your new workplace.
4. Mind your meeting manners. Pay attention to how meetings are run (with a formal agenda or as a free-for-all); whether or not attendees use laptops, PDAs or other mobile devices; and how vocal participants are expected to be.
5. Offer ideas, when appropriate. Wait until you've proven yourself and built rapport with your coworkers before proposing drastic changes. Your first priority is to earn people's trust. Once that's been established, colleagues will be more open to your suggestions.

About The Creative Group
The Creative Group specializes in placing a range of highly skilled creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals with a variety of firms on a project basis. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and The Creative Group's award-winning career magazine, can be found at www.creativegroup.com.