WORKING FOR AN MNC: Prepare to fit in - socially and culturally

by Norita Wan Mat

By Norita Wan Mat, HR Director of Agilent Technologies Malaysia

Handshakes, hugs and pats on the back are common scenes at convocation ceremonies – an emotional high signaling a grand beginning for fresh graduates. Equipped with their degrees, they get ready to brave a new chapter in life – THE WORKING LIFE.

It is a new experience, with multiple choices and many tough decisions to make. Congratulations to those who have been offered jobs in a Multinational Company (MNC). Your success in passing the technical and behavioral interviews simply means you are among the best hires for the organisation.

Norita Wan Mat

But no matter how well you did, you are bound to have some fears and self-doubts… and a million questions!

“Why do I have butterflies in my stomach?” you wonder. “How will I fare in my job, or find my fit in the company culture, or make new friends? How am I supposed to address my boss?”

Intimidated? No need to be. Below are three simple steps to help you adjust to working life.

• Gather information
• Learn
• Apply

Gather information: Internship

If you are thinking of joining an MNC, do some research about the organisation and its people. A good way to learn would be to do an internship with the organisation.

At Agilent, interns are selected based on their potential to be full-time hires in the near future.

The programme gives interns an insight into life at Agilent and the opportunity to contribute and gain practical experience in their areas of interest.

Based on your major at university, you will be employed for three to six months in either R&D, manufacturing, marketing, quality, materials, facilities, IT, finance or human resources.

Find out more about the people in the organisation by linking up with your university’s alumni presently working in the company. Keeping close contact with your neighbours, friends and relatives is an added advantage in your job hunt strategies.Another way to get to know a company is to visit its website.

For example, when you visit Agilent at www.agilent.com, you can learn about our company’s history as well as products and services, which essentially tells you about the business we are in. Companies with global operations, like Agilent, can offer you opportunities to work with people around the world. The employees at the various sites share a common corporate culture we call VALUES. These values serve as a guiding principal for all in the organisation when creating and delivering the latest technology, products and services to customers. When your values are in sync with the organisation’s values, a successful partnership is created.

Learn: About Your New Job

Often, new graduates get anxious about whether they can perform to expectations. Although different from the university environment, the learning approach at the workplace are the same. Instead of your lecturer, you have a manager, and colleagues, instead of course mates.

Instead of textbooks, you will likely have many reference materials such as Manuals, SOP (Standard Operating Procedures), Specs (specifications) and of course, experts around you in your office.

Most big organisations have what’s called a buddy or mentor system to help new hires integrate and settle in. At Agilent, our six-month JTP (Job Training Plan) gives you a total ramp plan – SPEED TO PRODUCTIVITY to accelerate your learning curve.

Learn: About The People, Culture & Work Environment

You often hear companies say, “People are our greatest assets”. That is why many of them make huge investments to align the hearts and minds of their employees to their values and goals. At Agilent, our Employee Engagement Initiatives are driven by one of the organisation’s values - Trust, Respect and Teamwork.

Every employee’s behaviour and working culture is guided by these values. Delivering results is the top priority, but Agilent allows employees to strike a healthy work/life balance. Agilent’s workplace is a casual one, with everyone addressing each other by their first names. English is the common language, and open communication is practiced across the company.

Unless you are hosting customers or attending formal meetings, the office attire is usually smart-casual. Mini-skirts and sleeveless tops may not be very comfortable in the airconditioned environment. Agilent employees enjoy stylish, contemporary facilities.

Apply: What You Have Learned

Now that you’ve done your preparation work, you must be well-prepared for the BIG DAY to report to work for the very first time. Many companies have Orientation Programmes or Induction or Integration Programmes to welcome new hires into their fold. Agilent recently introduced a new hire programme called Onboard@Agilent.

Onboard@Agilent is one element of our talent management system to positively impact productivity and improve our ability to retain and motivate new hires. Once the offer letter is accepted, we know that the new experiences at Agilent are vital to a fresh hire’s longevity in the company – 90 percent of new employees stay with the company in their first six months on the job.

To keep pace with a new generation of talent in an increasingly competitive labour market, we need to continually improve the way we onboard new employees.

In October, we introduced Agilent’s e-Welcome portal. This portal ensures new hires have a successful ‘new-hire experience’. There are also interactive checklists and information to prepare you for Day 1.

Enjoying the Extras

Here’s one last tip. On your first day, find out about the ‘extras’. For example, Agilent provides common facilities such as a halal cafeteria, clinic, convenience store, mother’s room, surau, a gymnasium, and badminton, basketball, squash courts, etc. You may also have the opportunity to contribute to the community through the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. Support groups, such as Women at Work, Toastmasters and New Hires Club, are network groups you can participate in.

So, be involved!

Well, you can see that Agilent is not just about a full day of hard work, but a fine mix of work and play! Good luck!