Job Transitions

Perspective

Conventional wisdom rarely holds true forever, especially when the subject is as dynamic as workplace culture. One such common and mistaken idea is that onboarding applies only to newly hired employees. On the contrary, our findings reveal that every professional move—whether lateral, promotional, or external—is an important event worthy of more attention. Taking an insightful, deliberate approach to job transitions can mitigate the risks of change, as well as stoke extraordinary levels of engagement, loyalty, and fulfillment. Think about a time in your career when a new job changed your life for the better. If you’ve ever wondered exactly why, or how you can create the same experience for others, read on.

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Introduction

Accepting and adapting to a new job is a natural part of nearly every employee’s career. In the U.S., workers change jobs an average of 12 times,¹ and McKinsey estimates 14% of the global workforce will have a different job by 2030.²

How employees transition from one job to the next—whether it’s a promotion, a change in teams, a shift in responsibilities, or a position with another organization—can significantly impact their success.

Our latest research shows onboarding isn’t just for new hires. In truth, any employee starting a new job (even with their existing employer) should have an onboarding experience because these transitions all entail a period of welcome, training, development, and connection. No matter how experienced or skilled the employee is, getting to know a new team and leader, learning new expectations and processes, and adjusting to a new culture can be challenging. And this phase is a golden opportunity to ensure people get what they need to contribute to the organization and thrive.

According to our data, when done well (with a deliberate plan, resources, and support), job transition experiences can be transformative—a self-described positive, life-changing event in the employee’s career. When people feel this way, odds of important outcomes like fulfillment and satisfaction with the employee experience improve dramatically. Conversely, when handled poorly, job transitions can result in disengagement, lower productivity, and attrition. Such cases also increase the odds of probable anxiety and burnout.

Because these short periods of time can have such significant consequences, we’ve made them the focus of our final chapter this year.

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“If someone is shifting to another part of the organization or taking on a significant shift in their role, it is a mistake not to onboard them again. Not doing so will set those internal transfers up to struggle, underperform, and potentially quit.”
—Brian Kropp, Group Vice President, HR, Gartner

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The Four Key Factors of a Transformative Transition Experience

Regardless of whether an employee joins a new team or a new organization, their feelings about the move are similar and common. There’s great enthusiasm (95% feel high levels of excitement, happiness, and hopefulness), mixed with some anxiety (71% feel nervous, overwhelmed, stressed, or intimidated). And because employees’ feelings apply to both scenarios, so do their needs.

Our research reveals four key elements to creating a transformative job transition experience: connection, community, development, and flexibility. When all four are present, the odds of a transformative experience increase by 60x.

Let’s take a brief look at each element.

Connection. Building strong relationships with team members, leaders, and the organization from the beginning unites employees around a common purpose and goals. It also creates a support group that helps employees navigate change.³ Odds of a positive transition experience increase 14x when employees feel a strong connection with their new teams.

Community. A thriving workplace community⁴ is the foundation of a successful job transition experience. When employees feel safe to be themselves, trust their coworkers and leaders, and feel a powerful sense of belonging, the odds they will have a positive transition experience increase 11x.

Development. Employees who believe they have learning and growth opportunities in their new role have 5x better odds that they will experience a positive transition. Odds increase 10x when people have career advancement opportunities and are allowed flexibility to develop new skills.⁵

Flexibility. Flexibility gives employees the time to develop the skills they need for their new roles and adjust to the many changes that come with new jobs. It also helps reduce the risk of burnout. Providing autonomy⁶ to manage day-to-day work and allowing adequate time off for personal matters can increase the odds of a positive transition 5x.

By incorporating all four elements of the Job Transition Impact Model, organizations offer employees the tools and support to connect in meaningful ways, which leads to a positive transition experience.

Periods of change are a considerable part the employee experience, and job transitions—whether internal or external—are among the most impactful. As detailed in the following table, positive transition experiences increase the odds of engagement, retention, and thriving, while poor experiences have the opposite effect.

When employees say their job transition was positive enough to be transformative or “life-changing,” we see even higher odds of many desirable outcomes.

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Transformative Experiences Start Early

In today’s job market, many people feel frustrated and cynical about the application and hiring process, citing issues such as AI-assisted resume filtering, employer ghosting, and excessive rounds of interviews. Over 40% of our respondents found the process to be disorganized, inefficient, humiliating, or complicated.

This disillusionment can make the new-hire transition even more challenging. But it also gives organizations a chance to create a candidate-centered hiring process by responding to applications promptly, treating candidates with respect, and providing transparent communication about the position and company culture.

When employers show respect for candidates throughout the hiring process (e.g., quick responses to applications, transparency in interviews, feedback in the moment, etc.), the odds of having a positive onboarding experience and an immediate sense of belonging increase 65% and 126% respectively. Improving the experience, from the initial application through the first day of a job, creates a smoother, more successful transition for new employees.

For employees in their jobs two years or less (those who clearly remember the application and interviewing experience), a candidate-centered hiring process increases the likelihood of feeling an immediate sense of belonging by nearly 10x. The following table highlights the effects on several other cultural metrics.

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“If we don’t worry about onboarding before the employee starts, then we’re way behind.”
—Ben Peterson, CEO, BambooHR

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The Power of Regular Touchpoints

Any effective transition experience depends heavily on leaders connecting with employees on a regular basis, even if it’s a simple interaction.

According to our research, if leaders connect with new employees once a day during the first month of onboarding, the odds of high satisfaction with the onboarding experience improve 3x (compared to 2x if they meet a few times each week). If leaders show practical empathy⁷ during these interactions, the odds of new hires having a positive transition experience increase 6x. Ideally, leaders should have this level of connection and empathy beyond the first month and for any employee moving into a new role.

One powerful way for leaders to connect with new team members is through integrated recognition,⁸ which shows employees that they’re seen and valued. It communicates they’re making a difference in their new role and that they belong. When an organization makes recognition an integrated part of its culture, including the job transition experience, the odds an employee will feel satisfied with their transition experience increase 6x.

The following model details what happens when organizations add integrated recognition to each of the four key job transition factors.

To be integrated, recognition must be frequent. When employees receive, give, or observe recognition daily, weekly, or monthly during their transition, they’re more likely to see their experience as transformative. The following table shows this effect. Note that even if new team members don’t receive recognition right away, the ability to give and observe it still makes a significant difference.

The transition period is a critical time for teams and leaders to provide new employees with training, guidance, and feedback. But it’s also a window of opportunity to build connection, belonging, and appreciation. When employees have a positive onboarding experience during their transition, we see greater odds of employees feeling:

• The organization cares about them (3x)
• Inclusion (5x)
• A desire to promote the organization as a great place to work (5x)
• A sense of wellbeing (9x)
• They’re thriving at work (11x)

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Promoted Doesn’t Mean Prepared

It’s easy to assume that employees who take on leadership roles already know the ropes. If they earned the promotion, they must have the skills to lead, right? However, many employees get promoted because they do their job well and have sufficient tactical, hard skills; not because they have innate leadership qualities or soft skills. In fact, a quarter (26%) of first-time managers feel ill-prepared to lead,⁹ and 60% receive no training to be a leader. According to ADP, without the support necessary to be successful, 29% of new leaders leave within a month of receiving their promotions.¹⁰

How employees navigate the transition from individual contributor to leader can be critical for their success (as well as the organization’s). Done well, it’s a significant life event, one that merits strong connections, community, development, and flexibility.

So how do the four key factors of a transformative transition experience apply specifically to new leaders? The following table illustrates.

Furthermore, when new leaders experience a positive transition that includes integrated recognition, the odds of several outcomes improve:

• Feeling the experience was transformative (38x)
• High satisfaction with employee experience (12x)
• Promoting the organization as a great place to work (8x)
• Sense of fulfillment at work (7x)
• Intention to stay at the organization (5x)
  

On the other hand, without integrated recognition, the likelihood new leaders will feel highly satisfied with their transition experience decreases 82%.

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“The worst thing you can do is hire or promote somebody into a managerial position and not give them the tools to be successful. Often, organizations take an uber-smart, technically competent person and promote him to being a manager and assume he knows what he needs to know about managing a department.”
—Sharlyn Lauby, President, ITM Group and Author, HR Bartender

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Recommendations

Help employees successfully transition to new roles with onboarding that includes connection, recognition, flexibility, and opportunities to grow.

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1. Employ all four job transition impact elements

Whether the employee is a new hire, an existing worker who changes teams, or a freshly minted leader, data show the importance of onboarding. Develop a job transition strategy that prioritizes connection, community, development, and flexibility.

Ensure employees have ways to build community with their new teams and connect with their leader often, particularly in the first month of their new role. Provide clear expectations—with a little slack to adjust and find balance—and opportunities to develop skills and grow in their careers.

Don’t assume employees will know how to navigate these elements alone. Establish processes, communication, and leader accountability in your transition plans.

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2. Recognize employees frequently to strengthen connection

In a workplace culture with integrated recognition, the Job Transition Impact Model is even more effective at creating transformative experiences. Frequent recognition—received, given, or observed—creates a foundation for positive job transitions and provides meaningful touchpoints during the transition experience.

As the following table shows, when employees experience or observe recognition regularly, the impact of leader interaction and, ultimately, connection increases.

Make recognition a frequent part of every job transition. Provide a variety of tools to recognize, ensure people have access to them, and encourage leaders and employees to use them throughout the transition period.

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3. Start sooner and make onboarding universal

For many employees, the job transition experience begins during the hiring process, so treat all candidates with respect regardless of how few will get an offer. This sets an important cultural tone for prospective employees and begins a transformative job experience for those you do hire. Be especially thoughtful about communicating job opportunities, using technology to filter resumes, contacting applicants, and conducting interviews.

Equally important, ensure every employee who changes jobs receives a robust onboarding experience that focuses on connection and growth as much as any job-learning activities. And when people move into leadership roles, create experiences to support and empower them. Remember that very few leaders are born with leadership skills, and new titles don’t bestow any either. Leadership training and development plans are critical to success.

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Job Transitions—Key Takeaways

Every job transition can be a transformative experience with positive outcomes for both employees and the organization.

Connection, community, development, and flexibility are the keys to making transitions transformative.

Integrated recognition amplifies the impact of all four transition elements.

Onboarding improves any job transition, not just those of new hires.