Hi Rebecca, I'm an introvert too, so I understand some of what you're feeling. My advice would be don't worry too much about this. Your work will create opportunities to speak with your new colleagues and from there you will usually find something to ask them about. A simple "Where are you located"? will spark a conversation. Just listen and see what happens. I'm sure you'll do fine.

Congrats on the new job! I think this is a great time to start a new role remotely because there are so many tools to facilitate good working relationships virtually! And so many colleagues are also remote and facing the same challenges, it gives us all some common ground. There has been a lot of good advice above, I'd only add one idea that works well for me: I make time daily to greet my team, not only when we need to collaborate on a project or I need something. In the office I would say hello or get a coffee together, etc. so I try to make a little time daily (or even every other day) to maintain that type of contact with my team. Especially with instant message tools like Teams, you can drop a quick good morning, and it doesn't detract from your day. Best wishes and I'm sure you'll find your stride quickly!

Find common ground. Start there with a willingness to learn and you got it!

Rebecca, I'm so excited for you! Congratulations on your new position!

Hi Rebecca, I started at my new company in January before we knew anything about COVID and two months into my work, we turned completely remote. I had met a few people in those 2 months, however there have been many that I had to introduce myself to in the last 8 months. The role I have interfaces between the business and engineering teams in the company and I also work on multiple projects at the same time, hence I need to speak to a lot of people across the company. Here are a few things that help. (i) Like others suggested setup 1-1 introductory sessions on zoom and use those to speak about your career journey and some casual questions about location, work habits, what they like most about the company etc. Do these as 1-1s so that people are more comfortable to talk. (ii) Whenever I write an email or chat with a person I haven't been introduced to, I include the following: 'Nice to meet you virtually. Hope you are doing well'. After a few emails, I try to get onto a quick call with them and have a casual talk as well. (iii) Ask your boss to introduce you to a few people by dropping in an email to the both of you and you can take it from there. Please remember that making connections is a continuous effort and cannot be achieved in the first contact / conversation with them. Keep doing the above on a regular basis and you will feel comfortable before you know it. Hope this helps.

Hi Rebecca, congrats! I completely agree with Lesa on scheduling one on one time with people. My company encourages people to schedule 30 minute coffee chats and one thing that works well is to ask those who you work closest with who they might recommend for you to set up time with. This way you have a soft connection to kick things off. A few of my favorite questions to help with these conversations are: - What TV show are you currently watching? (I am always looking for my next binge) - Where do you live? How long have you lived there? What do you enjoy most about the place? - How did you end up at the company? I hope some of these questions help. Good luck in your new role!

Rebecca, One thing I recommend is scheduling 1:1 Zoom calls with each staff member. Consider making it a fun event, like a virtual coffee date or lunch. Make sure you ask questions on a personal, as well as professional level - e.g., What do you like to do on the weekends? What is your favorite ___?

Hi Rebecca. First, congratulations on your new role! I just started with a new company, but was fortunate enough to know and work with my entire sales team in my previous role. That being said, my hiring manager has been extremely engaged - he's texted and called to check in on me several times as I managed my relocation, and he and another manager have called or had Teams meetings with me to ensure I'm getting acclimated. In my previous role we had virtual "Happy Hours" to stay connected and engaged as a team. Perhaps during onboarding you can have virtual meetings with each department to connect with them, and if you have direct reports schedule bi-monthly or monthly meetings to establish rapport? I've found the more I can connect by phone or video, the more engaged my team is. Best of luck! You got this!