Human Resource Management | HR Staffing | Orientation and Socialization

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Having devoted the time and resources to compete for talent, the next step that HR practitioners face is to get new hires quickly up to speed. Retaining newcomers, however, poses a challenge, as most turnover occurs during the first few months on the job.1 Because organizations have little opportunity to recoup the return on investment in new employees who quit, newcomer turnover is problematic and is therefore a concern of researchers and practitioners alike. While there is an expanded interest in predicting newcomer turnover at the selection process, research on this topic has generally focused on organizational socialization and how it is used to familiarize new hires with new roles and to retain these new organizational members.

Socialization

Socialization is broadly defined as “a process in which an individual acquires the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge needed to successfully participate as an organizational member.”2 Socialization is an ongoing process that sometimes lasts for a year. It represents a sense-making process that helps new hires adapt, form work relationships and find their place in the organization. A typical socialization process includes three phases:3

1. Anticipatory socialization: This stage occurs before new hires join the organization. Through interacting with representatives of the company (e.g., recruiters, managers), new hires develop expectations about the company and the job prior to organizational entry.
2. Encounter: When new employees begin a new job, they start to learn about job tasks and receive training. Managers can exert their influence by helping new employees understand their roles and duties. Also, by understanding the stresses and issues that newcomers experience, managers can help cultivate a high-quality work relationship with newcomers.
3. Settling in: New employees begin to feel comfortable with their job demands and social relationships. They will be interested in the company’s evaluation of their performance and in learning about potential career opportunities within the company.

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