In this series, manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi offers practical answers to candid questions on navigating workplace challenges and getting ahead in your career. Get more tips by signing up to The Straits Times’ Headstart newsletter.

Q: I just took up a new job, but my boss isn’t assigning me any tasks nor training. Am I being set up to fail?

A: While prolonged inactivity in a new job can quickly turn confusing and demoralising, there are valid reasons why a new hire might not be assigned work from the outset, says Mr Alvin Goh, chief executive of the Singapore Human Resources Institute.

“Sometimes, the hiring manager is not ready for the new joiner to start due to internal delays or restructuring.”

Teams might need longer to integrate new hires than the timeline the human resources department has in mind, especially in multinational companies and those with complex reporting structures that interlace across seniority levels and departments, he adds.

Echoing his views, Ms Loh Kaili, associate director at BTI Executive Search, says: “Sometimes, new hires come in during a messy period when projects are stalled, headcounts were approved prematurely or teams are being restructured.

“Hiring managers may not know what to do next and will keep things at status quo.”

New employees might also need to clock milestones such as probation evaluations or study modules before they can be assigned tasks, or in the case of some sensitive industries, clear security checks, both experts add.

However, Mr Goh notes all these are typically short-term scenarios that should be resolved within weeks, not months.

When someone repeatedly gets turned away after asking to contribute and offering their expertise over a prolonged period, it may point to a structural dysfunction or existence of personal bias against them, he adds.

Some bosses may also be insecure, fearing that a new hire could grow to replace them, and intentionally set the new hire up for failure, Ms Loh notes.

Still, feeling threatened by subordinates is definitely not a valid reason to withhold work, she adds.

Mr Goh suggests that workers who have not received any assignments or training for more than several weeks should request a meeting with either the HR team, or a leader one level above their direct boss.

However, he advises workers to signal their commit...