Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think I’ve had the worst onboarding in history?

62 replies

Donotfitin · 17/06/2026 23:04

I think I wrote about this before. I started my new job three months ago. Lovely on paper. Turned up and it was... not that.
What followed was frankly something out of some 80s sitcom. Decisions made by people who'd never met me, who had no clue about what the UK region needs, based on a model that nobody actually likes, including the people running it.
At various points in the last three months:
*I nearly quit
*Had to take seeing pills
*Cried before my shower
*ended up with no manager for more than a month , making executive decisions for the region because everyone assumed someone else had sorted it. But nobody had and HR completely washed their hands.

But then today…. The boss of all of them realised of the comedy of errors that had been happening for the last 3 months, and my life got sorted in 10mins!

It’s still unclear if this will benefit me in the long run, but at least I now have someone to approve my annual leave!

And hopefully will also give me a carte Blanche around my performance bonus.

OP posts:
tommyhoundmum · 18/06/2026 11:40

Donotfitin · 18/06/2026 11:33

I’ve always used it in my working life and it goes beyond the Office…

Show quote history

I think you may have started work as I retired.

Goditsmemargaret · 18/06/2026 11:34

I remember years ago starting a new job and some young guy appearing in reception on my first day chewing gum and telling me the manager was late but he'd take me upstairs.

It was a big multinational that specialised in HR systems of all things.

He walked me up to my desk and pointed at it before walking over to his desk. There was a cm of dust on top of it and a huge cardboard box of invoices that had nothing to do with my job.

I decided right there and then to not bother making friends as I wouldn't be staying long.

Original poster
Donotfitin · 18/06/2026 11:33

tommyhoundmum · 18/06/2026 11:31

Thank you. That sounds about right. I wonder if they culled it from"The Office".

Show quote history

I’ve always used it in my working life and it goes beyond the Office…

OP posts:
tommyhoundmum · 18/06/2026 11:31

ainsleysanob · 18/06/2026 11:21

It’s what HR use to make their role around getting new starters set up sound more important than it is.

Show quote history

Thank you. That sounds about right. I wonder if they culled it from"The Office".

tommyhoundmum · 18/06/2026 11:30

Donotfitin · 18/06/2026 11:23

I mean even gov.uk uses that terminology…

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/simplifying-the-onboarding-process-for-new-starters-communication-resources

Show quote history

Thank you, but I left Government UK 25 years ago. I don't recall they used that term then.

StabiaGirl · 18/06/2026 11:29

TIL that onboarding is a word
and that seeing pills help you sleep
😁

OP posts:
ainsleysanob · 18/06/2026 11:21

tommyhoundmum · 18/06/2026 11:16

What does it even mean? A start in a new job?

Show quote history

It’s what HR use to make their role around getting new starters set up sound more important than it is.

tommyhoundmum · 18/06/2026 11:16

Screamingabdabz · 17/06/2026 23:13

YABU for using the word ‘onboarding’. Corporate wank words. But glad you got sorted.

What does it even mean? A start in a new job?

Original poster
Donotfitin · 18/06/2026 10:11

ThirdStorm · 18/06/2026 10:06

@Donotfitin They sound like pretty fundamental things, there is no way you could succeed under those circumstances. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you! I know the saga is not over, and I feel like I deserve an explanation for their incompetence BUT as long as they give me my full quarterly bonus I’m cool. To add insult to injury the quarterly KPIs were all based on the A/B role and obviously nobody has changed them or tracked them or anything….

OP posts:
ThirdStorm · 18/06/2026 10:06

@Donotfitin They sound like pretty fundamental things, there is no way you could succeed under those circumstances. Thanks for sharing.

Original poster
Donotfitin · 18/06/2026 09:59

ThirdStorm · 18/06/2026 08:06

Sounds like you've had an bad adverse reaction to the first 3 months in the job but you haven't actually said what they did or didn't do?

I think if I had that experience I would be weighing up if it was a good fit or not.

Well they’re hired me for role A, and on my first day they told me it was actually for role A/B.

My manager was pretty bad she used phrases like “why would I trust you?”. Anyway, complained to her boss in a nice way… and like 2 weeks later they told me I would now only do role A, and would get a new manager.

but I never got a new manager….. So there was I “leading” the region with my own understanding of how I should be doing things while everybody else higher up just thought that somebody had dealt with me.

but I was never included in the wider department meetings so it’s pretty obvious to me that whoever was supposed to action it never did, and the people below him just stayed quiet.

OP posts:
Lentilcakes · 18/06/2026 08:14

Screamingabdabz · 17/06/2026 23:13

YABU for using the word ‘onboarding’. Corporate wank words. But glad you got sorted.

It’s called this now, sorry.

ThirdStorm · 18/06/2026 08:06

Sounds like you've had an bad adverse reaction to the first 3 months in the job but you haven't actually said what they did or didn't do?

I think if I had that experience I would be weighing up if it was a good fit or not.

MilkyLeonard · 18/06/2026 08:06

I can’t believe people don’t know what onboarding means. I’ve never seen a pleasant post from @Screamingabdabz, so that’s no surprise, but what’s happening with the others I don’t know.

catspyjamas1 · 18/06/2026 08:03

Screamingabdabz · 17/06/2026 23:13

YABU for using the word ‘onboarding’. Corporate wank words. But glad you got sorted.

Have you seen any Wankernomics?! Brilliant on corporate speak.

VividDeer · 18/06/2026 07:43

I didnt know what onboarding was, read the thread to find out.
Then confused by seeing pills.

Glad its improved for you though

JoeTheDrummer · 18/06/2026 07:40

iloveanearlynight · 18/06/2026 07:16

I disagree. It's not fine at all. It's wanky talk. OP what are seeing pills?

Show quote history

‘Onboarding’ is a widely-used term, and the OP is perfectly reasonable to use it, and it’s pretty obvious that ‘seeing’ is a typo for ‘sleeping’.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 18/06/2026 07:26

When I saw the thread title, I was thinking a flight or maybe a cruise, and even in those contexts, I thought the word ‘onboarding’ sounded weird. But starting a new job - definitely wanky.

Pistacheeo · 18/06/2026 07:25

To be honest I did wonder what seeing pills were. I didn't realise sleeping pills were still a thing, unless it's those herbal ones I guess.
Onboarding is wanky.

OnLockdown · 18/06/2026 07:22

iloveanearlynight · 18/06/2026 07:16

I disagree. It's not fine at all. It's wanky talk. OP what are seeing pills?

Show quote history

Can people really not work out that it's a typo or autocorrect? Sleeping pills.

iloveanearlynight · 18/06/2026 07:18

Donotfitin · 17/06/2026 23:18

What’s the non wanky word?

Show quote history

Joining. Starting. Training period.

iloveanearlynight · 18/06/2026 07:16

PaperSpider · 17/06/2026 23:14

No, she’s not, it’s fine.

Show quote history

I disagree. It's not fine at all. It's wanky talk. OP what are seeing pills?

candycanetime · 18/06/2026 06:43

Nah my previous job was pretty bad. The most confusing IT system known to man where you had to type in random codes to get things up on the screen, I was told to shadow a colleague who just typed on the screen and didn’t explain or tell me any of the codes or what they meant. I then did not have access to any of the IT systems for 3 months and had to use others log ins which they weren’t thrilled about whilst phoning IT every single day trying to get it sorted.
Then everyone moaned about what budget my uniform came under as I was training in one place until my permanent place of work was open so I didn’t get uniform for 4 months!

Original poster
Donotfitin · 18/06/2026 05:27

Huckleberries · 18/06/2026 00:09

They give you the superpower of seeing all the nonsense in the corporate world

Show quote history

That’s a good one!

OP posts: