The seven month itch

The ëseven year itchí experienced by married couples may be well documented, but research released today suggests that in an office environment itís a seven month itch thatís likely to put a working relationship under pressure.

The research by Office Angels, the leading office support and secretarial recruitment consultancy, polled 1,400 employees about past roles and the decisions made about staying with a new job or quitting in the early days. Eight out of 10 (78%) agreed that the seven month mark in any new job is a crucial milestone - when the majority of new starters ask the question ñ ëshould I stay or should I goí?

The research was conducted to launch ìThe Key to Success: Staff Retention Guideî the second in a series of human resource toolkits designed by Office Angels to help smaller businesses, without HR resource, hire and retain great staff.

Colleagues in the Dock
The research shows that for the first seven months working environments are effectively ëon trialí ñ and that increasingly itís the workplace, not the worker, thatís subject to initial scrutiny.

More than three quarters (77%) claim theyíre looking to be inspired by their boss in the early days of a working relationship. Lacklustre managers beware ñ if you donít cut the mustard your employee ëgood eggsí may well be poached

Similarly 66% want to be mentored as they make their way up the career ladders ñ bosses who are never seen after the interview stage run the highest risk of staff defection

With the hours we spend at work at an all time high, itís not surprising that we value the relationship with have with colleagues. But 63% agree that if co-workers arenít supportive or friendly in the early days, by about seven months workers will be looking to make new friends elsewhere. A trip to the pub with colleagues in the first month is an essential bonding exercise says 77% of respondents.

Life balance is a buzz word bandied around, but 41% of workers use the first seven months to test out the concept. On paper a job may sound great, but after seven months employees know if their role works with the rest of their life; for example, are their working hours acceptable? Is the commute is bearable?

Mind the Gap
After six months of work 34% of respondents agreed that the emergence of a ëreality gapí ñ a difference between the promise of a job and its reality ñ can lead to thoughts of leaving

While more than half (54%) believed previous employers had ëoversoldí a role to entice them to sign on the dotted line

Great Expectations
The research goes on to suggest that more than ever before employees have ëgreat expectationsí from a new job and employer ñ from quick promotion to perks such as international travel.

An optimistic 22% say if a pay rise hasnít been mentioned in their first seven working months it may prompt itchy feet

One in four are looking for a promise of promotion within the first six months (19%)

While free tea and coffee is a valued perk, 42% expect something a little stronger ñ a work party or social event is expected within the first six months

And 34% of new employees expect to be sent on a training course after seven months service

Staff Churn
Commenting on the findings, David Clubb, Managing Director of Office Angels said: ìThe results reinforce the importance of transparency and good communication between employers and employees. It is inevitable people will want to grow through new experiences and working cultures after some time with a company, and in many instances this should be encouraged. However, too many people leaving after just seven months causes staff ëchurní, which is detrimental to the bottom line and the general morale of a business. Our experience at Office Angels suggests that by simply opening the lines of communication between employer and employee from day one, most of the dissatisfactions highlighted from the study could be dilutedî.

Office Angels has been placing candidates in temporary and permanent jobs for the past 20 years, so has a thorough understanding of people management and the relationships established between companies and employees. To help smaller businesses understand and avoid staff churn, Office Angels has created the second HR toolkit for SMEs - ìThe Key to Success: Staff Retention Guideî.