You have just been hired, so it’s obvious that you made a good impression to the people who interviewed you, but you still need to make a good first impression to your work colleagues. Why is this important?

There is this thing called „the halo effect””

that is a cognitive bias that influences how we perceive and evaluate others based on our initial impressions of them. It occurs when our overall impression of a person (the „halo” created by your perception) affects our judgments about specific traits or characteristics of that individual. In essence, if we perceive someone positively in one aspect, we tend to attribute other positive qualities to them, even if those qualities are unrelated. In a simple sentence, this bias expresses the principle „what is beautiful is also good”.

For example, if we meet someone who is physically attractive, we may unconsciously assume they are also intelligent, kind, and competent, without any evidence to support these assumptions. Similarly, if we perceive someone as successful or influential, we may automatically attribute other positive qualities to them, such as charisma or leadership ability. There are studies that showed that the jurors were less likely to believe that attractive people are guilty of criminal behavior.

Creating a positive halo arround you

This is why it’s important to look „likeable” on your first day at work. Of course, it’s crucial to show up on time, be prepared and appropriately dressed, but here are some tips to help you make yourself likeable so that your colleagues perceive a „positive halo” around you:

• Be positive, nice and polite to them;
• Use positive body language, make eye contact, smile;
• Take the initiative and introduce yourself to your colleagues, share a little about yourself, and tell them you look forward to working together;
• Answer the questions with openness, make small talk, be friendly but keep it professionally, to work related topics;
• Be yourself, be authentic and let your personality shine through. Don’t try to be someone you’re not in order to fit in – they will feel it. Use your interpersonal skills.
• Have a 60 seconds summary about yourself prepared. This may include a little about your background, a little about your new position and a little about why did you join the company;
• Accept invitations to lunch – it’s a great opportunity to get to know them in a less formal environment.