Explaining Shift Shock: Why Younger Employees Leave Good Jobs

You might have noticed that some of your younger workers are leaving your business much earlier than you might expect them to. This could be because of a phenomenon called “shift shock,” which examines employee engagement and satisfaction. Let’s consider how shift shock could potentially harm your business.

Defining Shift Shock

The term shift shock was first coined by Kathryn Minshew, the CEO and co-founder of The Muse—a values-based career platform. Minshew explains shift shock as a new employee's feeling when their new position is not what they hoped it would be.

The Muse further surveyed their audience members and found that 72% of respondents had experienced this lack of alignment at some point.

If these numbers worry you, get a load of these other ones:

• 29% of respondents said that their feelings of shift shock included both a job’s responsibilities and the company itself
• 41% would tolerate shift shock for two to six months as a new hire
• 48% indicated that shift shock would inspire them to try returning to their previous job

Getting Down to the Bottom of Shift Shock

Various factors contribute to shift shock in the workplace, including:

The Workplace Culture Doesn’t Match Worker Mentalities

The people who can adopt the mentality that work is a part of their personality tend to eventually overwork themselves. When a workplace actively encourages this type of behavior, this type of culture can lead to employee absenteeism and lower retention rates, forcing employers to find new hires once again.

Young workers, on the other hand, are fighting this workplace mentality by establishing that they will not tolerate this type of working environment. They are much more interested in meaningful work and maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

Skills and Talents Are Being Underutilized

Most young workers are eager to enter the workforce and put their degrees and proficiencies to the test. However, those who cannot find and secure positions in their areas of expertise might be disheartened when the job doesn’t utilize their degrees at all. About half of degree holders hold positions that don’t require a degree, and employers take this to mean that there is a talent shortage.

There is Little Transparency with Hiring Practices and Workplace Culture

Many individuals look at the job interview as a potential employee trying to make a good impression, but in reality, it takes two to interview. The employer also needs to make the effort to attract top talent, and if their hiring practices are misleading, the new hire will find out quickly and leave just as fast as they accepted the offer.

Policies Promised are Barely Present, If At All

Remote work is hardly a perk anymore. These days, if anything, the younger generation has come to expect it. Despite recent events showing that it is possible and beneficial to allow remote work in some capacity, many companies still resist it. If an employee applies for, interviews for, and accepts a job that is advertised as remote-eligible, they will be shift-shocked and burned when they discover that it is, in fact, not.

Your Business Can Avoid Shift Shock

If you want to limit the effects of shift shock on your business, you need to work to provide as much transparency throughout the hiring process as possible. If you offer your new hires a clear vision of what to expect, you'll have won half the battle. Be sure to establish realistic expectations right from the start, though.

Of course, you must also follow through on your end of the bargain. If you promise something, then work to make it happen. Proper technology and training can enable much of what you promise to your younger team members, including remote work.

If you’re ready to take the next step and ensure that your team has all the technology you promised them, then don’t wait any longer. Get started by calling us today at 607.433.2200!