New research has found that more than half (53%) of UK workers admitted leaving their new job within six months as it did not meet their expectations. This “shift shock” is being perceived as the position being completely different to how it was advertised when they initially applied.
“Shift shock has been around for a while but our data shows that even in less than favourable economic conditions, many professionals still aren’t willing to settle for a position that doesn’t work for them as well.” says Lucy Bisset, director of Robert Walters North West.
The findings came from recruitment specialists Robert Walters, and discovered that the phenomenon has become more common in the past two years, despite the economic climate.
A further 52% of respondents cited an issue with management as their reason for leaving a job. A toxic workplace culture was the reason that 20% of employees had left their position.
Three quarters of respondents believe their employers’ expectations are set too high. 23% highlight an unforeseen heavy workload.
“Tighter hiring is causing employers to condense roles – this means shifting new responsibilities onto the shoulders of employees without much to alleviate it in the way of a salary bump or bonus,” Bisset added. “It’s crucial for employers to set clear expectations about workload from the very first interview with a new employee.”
In response to this, 42% of employers surveyed believed their recruits in the past year have not met expectations. Only 15% of new workers have exceeded employers’ expectations.
The research indicates that the recruitment and onboarding is currently at a tough middle ground, with neither employees nor employees being happy with expectations. Not only is this costly to employee’s time, but expensive for company rehiring processes.
Bisset finally shares, “The concept of ‘shift shock’ underscores the importance of a mutual understanding and fulfilling of expectations during the hiring process and throughout a professional’s tenure.”