A lot depends on the job. A fast food worker can get up to speed with a few sips.
Take a low level executive job, it take a while to know the complex hierarchy that extends above and below you for the simple fact that you encounter many of them rarely. Some you deal with daily/hourly.
It all depends on how gregarious you are (natural salesmen = gregarious), or standoffish yiu are. if you need to manage a huge network, then a standoffish nature might soon finish you off as you get hated above and below.
That said, most people need a few simple interactions to deal with people above/below you. You these by watching your peers/ If they grovel to someone, get your belly on the ground....
