Anphabe Company believes that many workers feel excited when they receive a new job – a better position, a new environment, and expectations for a brighter future. However, after only a few weeks, even a few working days, many people begin to feel confused and disappointed. Everything is not as they thought: the job is far from description, company culture is difficult to integrate, management is subtle, or the working environment is harmful.
This feeling is not a sporadic phenomenon, but has been called "shift shock". This is the consequence of a large mismatch between the employee's imagination in the recruitment process and the actual job experience after joining the organization.
The "shift shock" phenomenon has been recorded to be more common since the pandemic. The soaring recruitment demand has caused many businesses to shorten recruitment processes, soften information or paint a too ideal picture to attract candidates.
Anphabe Company lists 4 main causes of the "shift shock":
Non-realistic job description
Candidates are introduced to a "flexible – creative – developing" position, but when entering, the job is only operational, with little proactiveness or creativity. Lack of transparency in job descriptions or excessive "coloring" during interviews is the leading cause of initial shock for new employees.
Inappropriate organizational culture
An introverted person enters a dynamic and highly competitive environment; a person who values support encounters isolation and lack of connection. When individual values are not in sync with organizational values, a feeling of "lostness" will come very quickly – and that is the seed of shift shock.
Managing incompetence or lack of empathy
Many employees share that they "like the job very much, but cannot stand the boss". The role of managers in the onboarding stage is extremely important – if they do not have communication skills, cannot create a psychological safety environment, or lack guidance, new employees are very likely to fall into the feeling of being abandoned, not recognized, and losing connection.
Lack of support and adaptation mechanisms
Many organizations lack a methodical onboarding process, no mentors or no companions. This makes new employees have to tinker and struggle in the new environment. When they feel "no one cares" and "we don't belong here", they easily fall into psychological crisis.
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