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If you work in the recruitment sector you are always very aware that starting a new job is a significant step for everyone involved. The employee arrives with expectations about the role, while the employer has expectations about the contribution that person will make.
Sometimes, however, the position does not develop quite as either side anticipated.
Over the years we have spoken to many people who began looking for another job very soon after starting somewhere new. The main reason given is because the role was “not what I expected from the interview”. Employers are often confused by this and not always sure why a new appointment is not settling into the position in the way they expected.
As we said, the job change was very important to everyone involved, so clearly, neither employer nor employee is likely to have deliberately created the wrong impression. The reasons behind the issue are simply that Interviews provide a snapshot of a role at a particular moment. Business priorities change, challenges emerge and, we also need to remember that two people can interpret the same conversation differently.
What matters when this happens is how the employer and new employee look to resolve the problem and, as a recruitment partner, what we can do to help prevent it in the first place.
What should the new employee do if the new job is not as expected?
Firstly, don’t allow a knee jerk reaction to make a wrong decision for you. Changing jobs is an emotional and life changing experience. That mean there is a danger of allowing your emotions rule what should be a rational decision. So, start with an assessment of what is happening before you do anything.
1 – Identify what is different
Before deciding that the move was a mistake, identify exactly where the role differs from your expectations.
Is it just the daily workload or level of responsibility? Is there a reporting structure gap or is the issue available resources or workplace culture? The difficult question that will require a bit of critical assessment and honesty is you being asked to do something fundamentally different, or has the role simply proved more challenging than anticipated?
The first few weeks in any new job can, and often will, feel uncomfortable in some way. It takes time to understand new systems, working relationships and, crucially, expectations. Separating normal settling-in difficulties from a genuine mismatch will help you decide what needs to happen next.
2 – Raise the issue early
Resignation often feels like the only option when you have let issues get to a stage where you lost control of the situation. Maybe something as simple as arranging a conversation with your manager and explaining how you understood the role when you accepted it will help.
However, again, keep the discussion practical. Rather than simply saying that the job is not what you expected, provide examples and ask for clarity around the issues of priorities, responsibilities and what the organisation needs from you.
Your manager may also be unaware that your experience of the role differs from the picture you were given and there may also be information or context you haven’t grasped or that they thought you understood.
A small mis-communication, omission of information or assumption can often produce a much larger issue than expected.
Can you help re-shape the role?
This is particularly important for people appointed at management level.
You may have expected to inherit an established team with effective systems, only to discover gaps, inconsistencies or processes that need improvement. Although this can initially feel disappointing, it may also be an opportunity to demonstrate the full value of your skills, qualifications and experience.
If you have the authority, resources and support needed to improve the situation, this could be an opportunity to make a real difference. If you don’t, explaining that to the right people and outlining the benefits is the obvious route.
Reframing the problem does not mean ignoring genuine concerns. It means considering what can be changed before concluding that the position cannot work.
What should the employer do?
It’s a surprisingly difficult situation when any employee is unhappy in the role. It is uniquely difficult when they are new. From the employer perspective, you hired someone to perform a required function and that still needs to happen. At the same time, an unhappy employee who is unstable and wants to leave, is never a good thing.
Find where the assumptions were out of alignment with the reality
If a new employee says the role is not what they expected that is useful information. Either you can use it to help resolve the issue or, should the employee still leave, it will help inform your next recruitment process.
Ask which elements feel different and what they understood from the recruitment process. Their concerns may reveal a gap in communication, an onboarding issue or a change in the organisation’s priorities.
A calm conversation can often resolve something that might otherwise lead to a valued employee leaving unnecessarily.
Revisit the original role
Look again at the job description and the discussions held during the interview process. Does the position still reflect what was originally presented?
Roles naturally evolve, particularly in growing or changing businesses. A new employee may just be unhappy because they don’t understand why priorities have shifted.
Clarify:
- The immediate priorities of the role.
- What should be achieved during the first three to six months.
- What support and resources are available.
- How progress will be reviewed.
This is especially important when someone has been recruited to lead change. An experienced manager may be capable of resolving significant problems, but not if they are working under a mistaken set of assumptions.
How AFR helps reduce the risk
We have also seen many situations where what could have been a resignation is turned into a long term working relationship through having an honest conversation that re-aligns the perspective of employer and employee.
That said, not every appointment works as expected, but this does not mean that either the employer, the recruitment partner or employee has failed in any way. Sometimes, it goes wrong but even if the role is ultimately not the right fit, an honest discussion can still help everyone reach a professional decision and inform the future recruitment.
At AFR, we work hard to ensure that employers and candidates understand one another’s expectations before an offer is accepted.
That means we mean to go beyond the job title and basic list of responsibilities. We need to know the employer’s priorities, their working environment, team structure and the challenges the successful person will encounter. We also take time to understand what candidates want from their next move and the conditions in which they are most likely to succeed.
No recruitment process can predict every development after someone starts. Businesses change, roles evolve and unexpected pressures arise. However, detailed conversations and realistic expectations can significantly reduce the likelihood of an early mismatch.