Experienced new hires, employment insecurity, and the foreshadowing of the precariat workforce

Abstract

Organizations commonly depend on new hire orientation programs to socialize new hires into their corporate culture. Through such programs, it is expected that newcomers will effectively adjust to their new surroundings and develop organizational commitment, job satisfaction, effective job performance, and ultimately a preference to remain with the organization. In addition to these practices, the literature suggests that organizational commitment is best developed through newcomer adjustment, which is dependent on the new hire, i.e., the newcomer, being socially accepted and included into their new environment. How do experienced, new employees achieve newcomer adjustment? The ensuing research seeks to present a compelling description of how an experienced newcomer, who has been out of the work for at least 6 months, seeks to integrate into his/her new corporate surroundings: learning his/her job, understanding the culture, and ultimately creating their own community within the work place, resulting in their own effective newcomer adjustment. Intrinsic case study methodology was used to uncover "how" newcomers created community and "what" they did to do so. The study revealed common strategies used by the study participants to create community at work. These strategies focused on building relationships with immediate team members and leaders, and proving task proficiency early in the newcomers' tenure. Most study participants were experiencing employment insecurity, which proved the main motivator behind their decisions to build relationships and demonstrate task competency. The research supported the development of the theory that those who are experiencing employment insecurity cannot also experience a psychological sense of community at work.