Unhelpful people in new job

[NETSRIK]

Has anyone else ever experienced starting a new job where the atmosphere is toxic and if you ask for help you are almost gas lit into thinking you are stupid and that you've been given the information or help before? I've started a new job, with next to no training and expected to know the ins and outs of it all. A colleague actually said to me this afternoon that I sem to ask a lot of questions. I don't. It's as if they enjoy seeing me struggle. Really weird.

Yes there are places like this. Maybe you’re on a higher salary, maybe they wanted their friend to get the job. Maybe they’re just nasty people. Persevere for a while and see how you settle. It’s horrible feeling like that though.

Is it a business full of miserable, whiny people? If so, it’s probably not personal. It doesn’t make it any more pleasant to work in, though! They are probably doing their best to make life difficult for the business owners. I’ve worked in places like that. Unfortunately the owners of the business were, er, you, me and everyone else because it was public sector!

Alternatively it might be that the business has told its employees that it ‘promotes from within’ or whatever. Probably with good intentions, but it tends to backfire. The problem is, whenever anyone new starts, the incumbents side-eye them and see the ‘outsider’ as a threat to their future prospects. I’ve worked somewhere like that too. I didn’t stay long!

Yep

I once had a job where I asked a colleague if I was doing something right, she said 'NO' and walked off.

After that I always asked specific questions but she would then just quickly tell me the first step and then walk away so I had to ask again for the next step.

Oh people can be such dicks. Just gaslight them back: "Sorry Jane, if you're not confident about this then I'll get back to [boss] and see if someone else can help."