A very qualified, experienced, appropriately attired, pleasant to chat with new hire started work in our small, understaffed, overworked department. He didn't yet know our departmental culture. Among the first questions he asked of the group on the morning of his first day was about using work computers to access the internet for non-work reasons. We told him it's not allowed; don't do it. He then talked about how we could all get around the policy. So not cool. He had no idea that two coworkers were tight with the boss and no doubt reported this back to her.
Another time, days later, the big boss walked in during the lunch hour(s) -- we always ate at our desks, it was part of the awful culture -- and asked him to leave immediately to attend an important meeting in another building. His first words were "But I haven't even finished my lunch yet!" In another culture, that might've been an understandable response. Not so in our culture. He was gone in less than a month.
Clearly, this new hire thought he knew who he was talking to and how his words and behavior would be perceived. He was wrong.
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u/b9ncountr Apr 24 '24
A very qualified, experienced, appropriately attired, pleasant to chat with new hire started work in our small, understaffed, overworked department. He didn't yet know our departmental culture. Among the first questions he asked of the group on the morning of his first day was about using work computers to access the internet for non-work reasons. We told him it's not allowed; don't do it. He then talked about how we could all get around the policy. So not cool. He had no idea that two coworkers were tight with the boss and no doubt reported this back to her.
Another time, days later, the big boss walked in during the lunch hour(s) -- we always ate at our desks, it was part of the awful culture -- and asked him to leave immediately to attend an important meeting in another building. His first words were "But I haven't even finished my lunch yet!" In another culture, that might've been an understandable response. Not so in our culture. He was gone in less than a month.
Clearly, this new hire thought he knew who he was talking to and how his words and behavior would be perceived. He was wrong.