Socialization Stages
Every organization strives to not only recruit the best talent but also assimilating them quickly. However, retaining the recruits is often the most challenging, since several turnovers often happen during the early days of employment. As a result, companies face losses due to new workers who quit early. That is why organizations should socialize new employees to help them acquire the right attitude, conduct, and information required for successful participation as a company member. There are three socialization stages applicable in every organization, namely, anticipatory, encounter or assimilation, and metamorphosis. The anticipatory phase occurs before employment through interaction with company representatives and independent researchers.
During the anticipatory stage, a person develops expectations concerning the organization and the job before joining the company. Thus, companies should remain open and accommodative to newcomers to eliminate misplaced expectations. The encounter stage happens when new employees start working and learning about job descriptions and undergo training. During this period, they face their expectations concerning the job, coworkers, management, and the company in general based on reality about the work. If their expectations are accurate, this phase reaffirms their earlier anticipations. However, that is not always the case, and newcomers must socialize to detach themselves from their past assumptions and replace them with company standards. That happens under peer mentorship and orientation programs.
During the metamorphosis stage, newcomers adapt to their social associations and job demands and feel comfortable in their new surroundings. During this phase, they get accustomed to organizational norms and their coworkers as well as comprehending these standards. Long-term workers make the new employees feel valued and trusted. The newcomers understand the corporate system; not only the duties, but also regulations, processes, and informally acceptable practices. Through successful administration of the metamorphosis, companies can retain newcomers due to emotional attachment and commitment to the organization and workers within it.