‘You end up learning by guessing’: SG worker says onboarding for new hires often feels like a ‘sink-or-swim’ experience 

SINGAPORE: A local worker took to social media to share that the “onboarding” process for new hires in Singapore feels more like being tossed into the deep end than receiving actual support.

In his post on the r/sgCareers subreddit, he shared that after working in a number of companies, he has noticed the same thing happening over and over. New joiners, including himself at one point, are basically thrown into the job with zero onboarding.

“You join expecting some kind of proper onboarding, but instead you’re given a laptop and a task on day one, and everyone assumes you’ll ‘pick things up along the way,’” he said. 

“Half the time the manager is busy, HR disappears after the first hour, and the team is too swamped to explain anything properly. So you end up learning by guessing, asking around, and hoping you’re doing things the right way.”

The local added that he finds this whole thing particularly “stressful” because even if one genuinely wants to make a strong impression in those first few days, it’s incredibly difficult to do so. 

“You’re basically figuring out the job and the company’s way of working at the same time. It just feels like onboarding here is more ‘sink or swim’ than actual support.”

Wondering if this has become the norm, he asked the Reddit community: “Is it common for new joiners to be thrown into work with zero onboarding in SG?”

“Fake it until you make it is a very real thing.”

In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor mentioned that, while they weren’t sure if this happens at other companies, they had experienced it many times themselves.

“I always had to start on a new job like a headless chicken thrown in a jungle,” they said. “Just got to constantly keep your head above the water until you get the hang of how things are being done around there.”

Another user chimed in, pointing out that this ‘sink or swim approach’ is not unique to Singapore. They explained that smaller companies often skip formal onboarding programs due to limited resources, while only larger organisations tend to have structured introductions, which in their view are frequently inefficient and do not necessarily prepare new hires for real work. 

“Only large companies have these ‘onboarding’ programs, which end up being just a waste of time in most cases,” they wrote. “Fake it until you make it is a very real thing. You just try and ask questions when needed. If people can’t be bothered to answer, then you do what you think is correct and learn from mistakes. People will correct you when you’re wrong.”

A third shared, “I’m in an MNC, and it’s the same. We only got some real training after ruffling some feathers amongst the senior managers. Sometimes it’s about collectively being the sore thumb that sticks out.”

A fourth added, “Really common. Hence, a question I always ask during interviews will be how the company will support my integration into the team while making it clear that I’m not expecting to be spoon-fed. From the way the interviewers answer this question, you will also be able to judge better. It’s definitely not easy to find someone who’s willing to mentor you.”

In other news, a man who’s been jobless for almost a year has admitted on social media that he’s “losing hope as a Singaporean.”

In a post on the r/SingaporeCitizens subreddit on Wednesday (Nov 26), the local, who has several years of experience under his belt, said he attended countless interviews across different companies and industries, only to walk away feeling more defeated each time.

Read more: ‘I’m losing hope as a Singaporean’: Local says he’s been jobless for almost a year