Employees often find it difficult to adjust to a new job. This is largely because they were given a misleading impression of their role and work environment, a survey conducted for psychometric consulting firm SHL says.
Employers, in their anxiety to secure staff, could be stretching the truth, the survey notes. For instance, they may present a team as harmonious when it is fraught with conflict.
"This kind of over-promising is counterproductive,” says Joe Ungemah, director of SHL professional services, Australia and New Zealand.
"It leads to unhappy new employees and doesn’t address the existing problem.”
Employers need to be honest about all aspects of work, including the less attractive parts of it, Ungemah says.
SHL’s research says 27 per cent of new employees find their jobs are not as they were described, 44 per cent are asked to do tasks beyond the job description and 33 per cent find the work environment worse than expected. About 40 per cent believe they don’t get help with the systems and processes that will help them work well. Two out of five find it difficult to get along with colleagues and management, and about one in three face cliques while socialising.
"During the probationary period, employers should be on high alert to new employee needs,” Ungemah says.
"But induction processes are often inadequate and leave recruits floundering.
"A big part of finding a rhythm at work is fitting into a team and the organisation’s culture.
"Misleading candidates or not providing sufficient support and guidance in those first few months can undermine the initial foundation of trust and result in early departures.
"Fifteen per cent of new hires leave before becoming competent. This is often the result of a negative probationary experience or simply an incompatible fit between the employer and employee.
"New employees supported during their probation period settle in quickly, start performing at a higher level faster and are more likely to remain with the organisation long term.”

Article from The Australian, October 30, 2010.