So 4 weeks ago when i accepted the role at the London office of a large US financial institution, they had said that my first day was due to be today, 28th October 2024. They sent me some requests for documentation like Insurance number, proof of address and some forms to fill in and I was supposed to then get confirmation of start date and what to do and who to ask for on my first day in the office. Instead i got 3 and a half weeks of silence.
Getting a little worried last week about not having any information or confirmation, i found the email address of the person who interviewed me and sent him a mail just asking him if 28th was still my confirmed start date and what the dress code in the office would be and who i should ask for when i get into the office. I heard nothing back and no confirmation of any details. I figured maybe they have not completed all their pre-employment new starter checks and things have been delayed. no problem at all. that is fine.
This morning at 8.30am, i get an email from a HR person based in the Philippines confirming my start date is today???. what the fuck!!. I then replied to her who i should ask for at reception and which department i would be working in and where should i go, to which she replied she would find out.
midday, i get a reply saying there is nobody in the London office from the cloud support team and to just to go into the office and collect my laptop and get my IDs sorted. OK, but its my first day, so WHO THE FUCK SHOULD I ASK FOR WHEN GET TO RECEPTION??!!!. I dont know what chicken shit operation they have in the phillipines or India, but in London you can not just walk in off the street and go to the reception of an office and be handed a pass and just let into an office building to roam around as you please and to pick up random laptops lying around.
Jaysus!!!, why is this so difficult?!.
This new job has already gotten off to a frustrating start and this first day has been a shitshow. they seem reluctant to give me the most obvious information, so i wonder how forthcoming they will be to give me information related to actually doing the role. if this is a harbinger for the future it does not look good.
Dont treat new starters like this. confirm their start dates more than half hour before you expect them in the office. have somebody assigned to meet them in the office on the first day and to show them to their desk. this is all basic stuff and they seem to be taken by surprised they i mentioned any of this. Anyway, i am not in the office and at home.
Did they really think i was just going to turn up to a new office and have reception ask me who i was there to see, and for me to reply 'i dont know', and for reception to ask me which department i was in, and for me to reply 'i dont know', and for reception to ask me which floor i worked on, and for me to reply 'i dont know', and for reception to ask me who my colleagues werre and for to reply 'i dont know'. come on man, i am not going to make a fool of myself on my first day despite the HR and the hiring team having done so already. some of us are professional and have worked in London before.
It might just be a bad start and it could be a really great company to work for, and in 6 months time i could be really happy and settled, but i really have doubts about it. I give it a 75% chance that i am not there in 6 months. I am planning to leave already. its a joke!.