Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on New Hire Engagement

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to simultaneously advance theory and practice by understanding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on new hire engagement, along with State- and individual-level moderators of such effects. Prior research suggests starting a new job is an uncertain experience; here we theorize that the COVID-19 pandemic creates additional environmental uncertainty that leads new hires to reduce their engagement. First, we hypothesize that new hires become less engaged in uncertain times, such that engagement negatively covaries with unemployment rates caused by the pandemic. Second, drawing from strategic management theory, we test whether U.S. States that introduce stronger COVID policies help reduce uncertainty and thus enhance the engagement of new hires. Third, we theorize that the effects of the pandemic become more disruptive on new hire engagement as they gain tenure within the organization. Examining a U.S. national sample of 12,577 newly hired (90 days or less) quick service restaurant employees over nine months (January to September, 2020), we find support for these hypotheses. Together, these findings advance new research directions for understanding relationships between macro contextual influences on new hire perceptions and socialization. They also offer practical implications by helping organizations understand the importance of explicitly managing environmental uncertainty, particularly in terms of COVID policy.