To think that the first week in my new job has been quite lonely and unwelcoming?

[unwelc]

I'm in the first week of my new working from home job. It's the first time I've moved into a mid-level role, rather than starting as an entry-level role, so I'm not sure if I'm just used to having more of a handhold during the settling in, or if my new job's company culture is a bit off.

Signs to start with were my new line manager left my interview call quite abruptly (I was mid-sentence saying thank you/bye). Then the week before I started anytime I would email them they would never reply e.g. 'Did you get your IT equipment', 'Not all of it yet, I'm still waiting for x, y, and z' - no reply from them.

I started on Monday and had a call with IT, and then my manager messaged once I was logged in just to say that they've put a call in for later day afternoon (4pm) and then sent me some links to read. This was ok and pretty normal, but their message was very cold. Whenever I've joined a company, I've usually had a meeting with HR or my manager first thing in the morning, not sat in silence all day waiting to speak to them. I've been reading through materials/doing training ever since, with just one message a day to check in with me.

I was briefly introduced to the team (20 or so people) during a meeting, and that is the only interaction I've had with them. No meetings with anyone, no inductions, no Teams messages or emails from anyone to introduce themselves. I would approach them but I have no idea of who is who, there's no team chart with everyone's names on.

Other companies I've worked for, I remember the first few weeks I'd have so many meetings - formal induction meetings with the senior people, and then everyone else would put in quick 15 minute 'coffee catch-ups' just to introduce themselves. All companies I've been at have also assigned new starters a 'buddy' too. I thought that was the norm, but maybe I've just been lucky?

I’m going to say yes, that does sound pretty crap. I’m sorry.
Where I work sounds a bit like the previous places you describe - so inductions, intro meetings etc… especially important if you are wfh.
I hope things become a bit more welcoming for you. I would maybe ask your Manager, when you do speak with them, if there is the possibility of some 1-2-1 intros with the rest of the team.
Other than their shite induction, does the job / firm seem ok?

If this is your first mid-level role you need to show you're proactive and independent so I'd ask your manager to share an organogram so you can start putting intro chats in with the wider team. If they say there isn't one, can you tap up the PAs of seniors? They're good sources of info usually on who's who and can help schedule chats with seniors.

But yes, does sound quite low effort on their part.

It was like this when I started my job. No effort to help me at all. Got there gradually. Hang in there OP. It is crap but hopefully you will find your feet soon or find a friendly person. Could you go in a few times maybe.

You need to be proactive, don’t wait for others including your manager to spoon feed you. Get on with your role. And then do it or make it what you need.

I don’t think it’s unusual especially if it’s a very busy workplace. You’ll have to show proactivity.

I think for a mid level role they may be expecting you to be a bit more proactive and self sufficient. If you want to speak to your manager then ask them for a chat - they’re probably busy and think that leaving you to read some links / do some training and catching up with you at the end of the day is a reasonable thing to do. I recently started a new job and I was chucked in at the deep end too but you have to give it some time - I’ve come to realise that it’s a big team and people come and go on and off projects. If we had 15 minute catch ups with every person we were briefly introduced to we wouldn’t do anything else! Alright maybe I’m exaggerating a bit but there’s a “this is so and so” message every couple of days.

when I started I attended every single meeting I was sent an invite to and got to know who people were that way. I’ve been there a month now and everything is much more settled. I think lower your expectation, ask your manager for what you need and push yourself out there a bit more instead of waiting for people to come to you. It would be nice if people in your team reached out but they probably assume it’s someone else’s job to “look after” you.

Agree, in my current role I had to arrange my own introduction chats.

It was not dissimilar to my start and I have an absolutely amazing team. I've been here three years now.
On the first day, I did have a 30 min chat with my line manager and was then given a whole week of mandatory training to do. I had a pretty sparse schedule but I was given a couple of contacts of good people to shadow so I pretty much organised everything myself.
After two weeks, I got on with the core of my job but it wasn't until a months later or so when I actually got to meet every person in my team.
Now, being on the other side I do get an email sent round to the team saying - here is the new starter, here is their induction schedule, please offer shadowing opportunities. Sometimes I have capacity to offer, sometimes I don't. I don't endeavour to catch up with every new starter individually in their first week as it is not part of my role. We usually bump into each other some weeks later at a regular team meeting and have formal introductions then.

Is everyone else, including your manager, WFH? Or are they in the office and you are remote?

If everyone is WFH then they should be better organised but sounds like you’ll have to be proactive in inducting yourself. If they are all in the office, I’d have a bit more sympathy as it’s quite hard to arrange things around one remote person - it all has to be more formal than a walk round the office making intros, and unfortunately you’re easy to forget about.

Have you got onboarding activities to get on with? If so email manager daily, at the end of the day with what you have completed.

pit a catch up call in the calendar with your manager. Ask them who you need to be speaking to.