Staffing Dr. Frankie S. Jones 2008 Organizational Entry and Socialization

Staffing • Dr. Frankie S. Jones • 2008

Organizational Entry and Socialization

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• This module is divided into two sessions:> An Introduction to Organizational Entry and

Socialization.> Organizational Entry and Socialization Theory,

Research, and Practice.


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Lesson One: An Introduction to Organizational Entry and Socialization

• By the end of this session you will be able to:> Define organizational entry and socialization (OES).> Explain the importance and benefit of socializing

employees into a new organization.> Discuss the HR professional’s role in organizational

entry and socialization.> Critique the organizational entry experiences of two

newly hired employees.


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What Is Organizational Entry and Socialization?

• Synonyms: Assimilation, transition, orientation, alignment, induction, integration and onboarding.

• Definitions vary.

• Themes across definitions:> Process.> Learn.> Produce.

• It is the process through which new employees learn and adapt to the norms and expectations of the organization to quickly reach maximum productivity.


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Statistics

• As many as 4 percent of new employees leave their new jobs after a disastrous first day.

• A significant percentage of new employees quit their jobs within the first 6 months.

• Half of all new hires in leadership positions last three or less years.

• New employees decide within the first 30 days whether they feel welcome in the organization.

• 1 in 25 people leave a new job just because of a poor (or nonexistent) onboarding program.

• 40 percent of senior managers hired from the outside fail within 18 months of hire.

• 64 percent of new executives hired from the outside will fail at their new job.


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Benefits and Barriers

• Benefits of effective OES:> Reduced time to contribution/competence.> Improved employee productivity and performance.> Stronger bonds among colleagues.> Enhanced job satisfaction and loyalty.> Improved employee engagement and retention.> Enhanced employer brand.

• Barriers to OES:> Cost.> Time.> Resources.


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Role of the HR Professional in OES

• Develop new employees to become productive members of the organization.

• Take ownership of orientation and onboarding processes.

• View OES as a business imperative.

• Partner and coach hiring and supervising managers on OES and their role in the process.

• Provide a roadmap for new employees.

• Set up networks for new employees.

• Serve as an internal coach/facilitator.

• Provide tools, training and feedback from selection through transition.


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Case Study Part One

• Read scenarios (5 minutes).

• Small group activity (10 minutes):> How are Jill and Ben most likely feeling during their first

day at work?> What are their first impressions of their managers and

their respective organizations?> What challenges and opportunities might Jill and Ben

face over the next few weeks?> What is the likelihood that either will stay or leave within

six months?

• Debrief (20 minutes).


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Break for 10 minutes


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Lesson Two: OES Theory, Research and Practice

• By the end of this session, you will be able to:> Explain the major theories, findings and practical

implications of OES research.> Evaluate the OES programs of well-known

organizations.> Describe the characteristics of effective OES programs.> Create an entry and socialization program for new

employees.


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OES Theory: Van Maanen and Schein (1979)

• Collective vs. individual

• Formal vs. informal

• Sequential vs. random

• Fixed vs. variable

• Serial vs. disjuncture

• Investiture vs. divestiture


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OES Theory: Jones (1986)

• “Institutionalized” and “individualized” tactics.

• Regrouped and ranked Van Maanen and Schein’s tactics into three broad factors:> Social tactics (serial and investiture).> Content tactics (sequential and fixed).> Context tactics (collective and formal).


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OES Research, Findings, and Practical Implications


Study Findings / Implications

College Graduates' Experiences and Attitudes during Organizational Entry .

Holton 1995

HRD researchers should engage in "...developing performance-based intervention models, investigating socialization-related learning, developing instruments to diagnose adaptation problems, designing interventions to facilitate the process, testing alternative development strategies, evaluation intervention outcomes, and establishing the return on investment of interventions. Because socialization is a process, not a program, it will require the development of structured on-the-job development strategies as well as training interventions" (p. 75).

Unwrapping the Organizational Entry Process: Disentangling Multiple Antecedents and Their Pathways to Adjustment.

Kammeyer-Mueller and Wanberg 2003

Factors affecting socialization include pre-entry knowledge of the

job; proactive behavior to adjust; and socialization influences from

the organization, supervisors, and co-workers. Implications:•Provide pre-entry opportunities to learn about jobs, like internships or work samples.•Administer personality surveys to select people who are more proactive or identify those who are less proactive and may need more help.•Train supervisors and co-workers on how to socialize new employees.•Offer peer and supervisory mentoring programs.

Changes in Person – Organization fit: The Impact of Socialization Tactics on Perceived and Actual P – O Fit.

Cooper-Thomas, van Vianen, and Anderson 2004

"The results show that socialization tactics influence perceived fit, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, but not actual fit" (p. 52).

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OES Research, Findings, and Practical Implications


Study Findings / Implications

Shaking Hands with a Computer: An Examination of Two Methods of Organizational Newcomer Orientation.

Wesson and Gogus 2005

"Consistent with hypotheses, the computer-based group had lower levels of socialization in the content areas of people, politics, and organizational goals and values and no significant differences on the dimensions of history, language, and performance proficiency" (p. 1024).

A New Look at the Role of Insiders in the Newcomer Socialization Process.

Slaughter and Zickar 2006

The negative aspects of newcomer socialization include stress, surprise,

anxiety, confusion and awkwardness.

Socialization Tactics and Newcomer Adjustment: A Meta-Analytic Review and Test of a Model.

Saks, Uggerslev, and Fassina 2007

"Based on the result of this study, the social tactics are the strongest

predictors of newcomer adjustment” (p. 438).

Implications:•Pair newcomers with an experienced mentor or buddy.•Affirm that the newcomer is a good fit for job.•Reduce uncertainty.•Improve fit perceptions.•Customize socialization tactics: provide a combination of structured and unstructured opportunities.

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Best Practices of Capital One

• Address attrition after aggressive hiring period.

• New leader assimilation program:1. Getting the lay of the land.

2. Meeting the team.

3. Checking in.

• Lessons learned:> Hiring managers play a critical role.> Brand the program.> Get buy-in.


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Best Practices of Sun Microsystems

• Goal of new-hire program: “Combine the best of Web 2.0 with the company’s do-it-yourself culture.”

• Five engaging components:> New-hire welcome.> Learn.> Participate.> Explore.> Play.


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Best Practices of Electropar

• Sees induction as a process, not an isolated event.

• First-day experience:> Scheduled meetings with key colleagues and managers

for the next two weeks.> Workspace is completely equipped.> Downtime during the work day for reading, note-taking,

and getting acclimated to their responsibilities.> List of resources to go to for help.

• ROI> Increased profits.> Improved health and safety records.> Increased retention.


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Best Practices of Randstad

• Revised program features:> Transformed the classroom-intensive 6-week

onboarding program into a 16-week blended learning curriculum that reduced classroom instruction and included much more self-guided e-learning and on-the-job activities.

> Manager-facilitated training (two-day course with employee's district managers).

> Job shadowing (experienced employees).> Manager coaching (formal and informal feedback

sessions).

• ROI: $4 million return on a program that cost $931,000.


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Summary of Practice Literature

• Provide jump-start coaching.• Map out your new hire’s network.• Follow up.• Take advantage of technology.• Use social bonds to fuel collaboration.• OES is a process, not an event.


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Case Study Part Two

• Read scenario.

• Small group activity (30 minutes).

• Debrief (20 minutes).


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Module Recap

• Review class-generated summary points and best practices.


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References

• Barge, J. K., and Schlueter, D. W. (2004). Memorable messages and newcomer socialization. Western Journal of Communication, 68(3), 233-256.

• Cashman, K., and Smye, M. (2007, April). Onboarding. Leadership Excellence, 24, 5.• Concelman, J., and Burns, J. (2006, March). The perfect storm or just a shower?: Large

corporations use best practices to jump-start new leaders. T+D, 60, 51-52.• Cooper-Thomas, H. D., and Anderson, N. (2006). Organizational socialization: A new

theoretical model and recommendations for future research and HRM practices in organizations. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(5), 492-516.

• Cooper-Thomas, H. D., van Vianen, A., and Anderson, N. (2004). Changes in person – organization fit: The impact of socialization tactics on perceived and actual P–O fit. European Journal Of Work and Organizational Psychology, 13(1), 52-78.

• Friedman, L. (2006, November). Are you losing potential new hires at hello? T+D, 60, 25-27.• Holton, E. E. (1995). College graduates' experiences and attitudes during organizational

entry. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 6(1), 59-78.• Johnson, L. K. (2005, June). Get your new managers moving. Harvard Management

Update, 10, 3-5.• Johnson, L. K. (2006, September). Rapid onboarding at Capital One. Harvard Management

Update, 11, 3-4.• Jones, G. R. (1986). Socialization tactics, self-efficiency and newcomers' adjustments to

organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 2, 262-279.• Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D., and Wanberg, C. R. (2003). Unwrapping the organizational entry

process: Disentangling multiple antecedents and their pathways to adjustment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 779-794.


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References

• McGregor, J. (2007, February). How to take the reins at top speed. Business Week, 55-56.• Meister, J. C. (2007, July). Onboarding for the net generation. Chief Learning Officer, 6, 54.• Morel, S. (2007). Onboarding secures talent for the long run. Workforce Management,

86(12), 9.• Moscato, D. (2005, June/July). Using technology to get employees on board. HR Magazine,

22, 107-109.• Owler, K. (2007, June/July). The art of induction: A process not an event. Human

Resources, 22-23.• Saks, A. M., Uggerslev, K. L., and Fassina, N. E. (2007). Socialization tactics and

newcomer adjustment: A meta-analytic review and test of a model. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 70, 413-446.

• Slaughter, J. E., and Zickar, M. J. (2006). A new look at the role of insiders in the newcomer socialization process. Group and Organization Management, 31(2), 264-290.

• Snell, A. (2006). Researching onboarding best practice. HR Review, 5(6), 32-35.• Sussman, D. (2005, December). Getting up to speed. T+D, 59, 49-51.• van Dam, N. (2007, June). The business results of strategic onboarding. Chief Learning

Officer, 6, 9.• Van Maanen, J., and Schein, E. H. (1979). Towards a theory of organizational socialization.

In B. M. Staw (Ed.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 1, pp. 209-264). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

• Wells, S. J. (2005, March). Diving in. HR Magazine, 50, 55-59.• Wesson, M. J., and Gogus, C. I. (2005). Shaking hands with a computer: An examination of

two methods of organizational newcomer orientation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(5), 1018-1026.


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Staffing Dr. Frankie S. Jones 2008 Organizational Entry and Socialization