I think this depends on the seniority of the hire. A junior employee needs more mentoring and "assigning" under they get enough contextual understanding to know

I think this depends on the seniority of the hire. A junior employee needs more mentoring and "assigning" under they get enough contextual understanding to know what's important and what isn't. Someone brand-new to an organization isn't likely to understand what problems their time is best spent on solving.