Building relationships with colleagues is critical when starting a new job, but a Rutgers-led study in the Journal of Management Scientific Reports suggests that only men are rewarded for their efforts. In surveys with nearly 200 new hires at another large public university, researchers discovered that men who invested time and energy into getting to know their new coworkers received valuable support in return. But women who invested the same time and energy received virtually no support. The study raises questions about employee onboarding and workplace culture, not just in higher education, but across all organizations.
“This might help to explain how women’s careers get held back right from the beginning,” said Lawrence Houston III, an assistant professor of human resource management in the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations and lead author of the study. “Coworker relations are considered the most vital factor in adjusting to a new workplace, and we know from prior research that most turnover occurs among new hires who struggle to adjust.” To read the full story.