'We made him feel like a burden': Redditor reveals why new hire quit within 3 weeks

A Reddit post about a new hire quitting within just three weeks has struck a chord online, shedding light on how poor onboarding and lack of support can push employees to leave early. The post, shared by a team lead at a small company, has sparked discussion around workplace culture, especially in smaller teams without formal HR processes.

The user began by describing their situation, writing, "we are a small team, like 15 people. I am not even a real manager, just the guy who ended up being responsible for new people because no one else wanted to do it lol."

They explained that the company had recently hired a fresh graduate. "So we hired this kid, fresh out of school. Smart guy, eager. I was excited."

The post details how things began to go wrong almost immediately. "Day one. I was swamped- meeting after meeting. I told him to grab a seat and shadow someone. I thought that was fine."

However, the lack of structure quickly became evident. "Day three. He is just sitting there. No one is talking to him. I forgot to set up his software access. He could not even log into our system."

Without proper onboarding or access to tools, the new hire struggled to find his footing within the team.

By the second week, expectations began to rise without adequate guidance. "Week two. I gave him a task, explained it fast, ran to another meeting."

When the task did not go as expected, the team lead admitted their reaction may have added pressure. "He messed it up i got annoyed. Did not yell, but you could tell I was frustrated."

The situation escalated in the third week when the employee decided to leave. "Week three. He sent me a message on Slack and said he appreciated the opportunity but this was not the right fit."

The real reason, however, came later. "then he told a coworker the real reason-we made him feel like a burden every time he asked a question. I felt like shit."

The post goes on to acknowledge the core issue. "We did not have a plan but just assumed he would figure it out, and when he did not, we got annoyed at him for slowing us down."

Following the incident, the team made changes to their onboarding process. "Since then, I have been looking at how other companies handle this, not the big corporate ones with massive HR teams. Just normal small businesses like us."

They added that while the process is still evolving, some steps have been implemented. "But now we have a simple checklist. Day one is just getting them set up. No real work."

The post ends with a direct message to others in similar roles. "Anyway. If you are a manager or team lead, and your new hires keep leaving fast, ask yourself if you are making them feel like a burden because I was."

The post has resonated with many users, highlighting how small gaps in communication, structure and support can significantly impact a new employee's experience, especially in the early days of a job.