Newcomers Flying Solo: Why,How,and for Whom Perceived Experience Creates Adjustment Challenges

In this study, we examine the relationships between perceived experience and newcomer adjustment outcomes. Drawing from Feedback Seeking Behavior theory, we challenge the assumption that greater perceived experience is universally beneficial during organizational entry. We propose that greater perceived experience could impair adjustment outcomes (i.e., job performance, work stress, and social disconnectedness) through two mechanisms: increased self-reliance beliefs and perceived risk of information seeking. In a field study of 243 new hires, we found evidence consistent with several of our predictions. Additionally, we found that openness to experience significantly weakened the relationships between perceived experience and self-reliance beliefs and risk of information seeking, as well as to subsequent adjustment outcomes (i.e., moderated mediation). Our research highlights the potential liabilities of starting a new job with greater perceived experience, turning attention to the factors that might inhibit proactive socialization efforts, while also examining openness as a key moderator of these effects.