When the thrill is gone - try a second honeymoon

New hires account for the highest proportion of 'engaged' staff (40 per cent). Photo / David White

Organisations' most engaged employees are those who have been with them the shortest (less than one year) or longest (more than 15 years), while the lowest levels of engagement occur between three and four years' service.

Analysis of the 2009 JRA Best Workplaces Survey shows new hires accounted for the highest proportion of "engaged" staff (40 per cent), a figure 20 per cent higher than employees with between three and four years service.

"New hires are significantly more satisfied with the performance of their direct supervisors, who they feel treat them with more respect and provide more support and encouragement," says JRA managing director John Robertson.

"After three years or so these ratings dip. So does reported satisfaction with perceived reward for performance and the way poor performance is dealt with, and satisfaction with learning and career/personal development opportunities."

Robertson says satisfaction with the "openness and honesty" of communication within the organisation also starts to slip significantly after the three-year milestone is reached, while in terms of overall perceptions of the organisation, this is the tenure-group that is least likely to recommend the organisation as a "great place to work".

"Organisations should take a look at their induction/orientation strategies," says Robertson.

"New-hires are often bombarded with an intense induction/orientation programme, and while these programmes are essential, it might be interesting to contrast the energy and resource that goes into them [and the expectations these create] with what is often a glaring lack of follow-up attention and support post-induction," says Robertson.

"Maybe the evidence suggests a strong case for a 'second honeymoon' session at the end of the second year of employment. That's when people are reflecting on whether the organisation (and their supervisor) is really 'walking the talk'.

This "induction refresher" would give organisations and supervisors the opportunity to reconnect with their employees and gain a better understanding of what they need to do to improve both job satisfaction and engagement," says Robertson.

JRA will be running the 2010 JRA Best Workplaces Survey in association with The New Zealand Herald from June 1 to August 31. Registrations are now being taken.