Aligning personal and organizational values: a multifaceted exploration of employee perspectives in the first year of employment

Purpose: This study investigates the alignment between employees' expectations and experiences during their initial year of employment, focusing on person-organization fit (P-O fit) and values congruence. It aims to identify factors influencing employee work value preferences and explore negative experiences encountered in the early stages of employment. Design/Methodology/Approach: Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study conducts a comprehensive literature review and surveys 300 newly employed individuals. The survey, designed to capture insights into values congruence and conflict dynamics, utilizes a structured questionnaire. Additionally, the Critical Incidents Technique (CIT) is employed to analyze specific instances of positive and negative experiences reported by respondents. Findings: The findings reveal that while job seekers actively seek organizational values information, discussions on personal and organizational values are lacking during job interviews. Although most employees initially do not report conflicts between personal and organizational values, such conflicts are more prevalent in micro and small companies, particularly among individuals in independent or specialist roles. Practical Implications: The study offers actionable recommendations for organizations to strengthen values alignment and mitigate conflicts, including integrating values discussions into recruitment and onboarding processes, fostering inclusive work environments, providing conflict resolution training, and regularly assessing values alignment. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the understanding of values congruence and conflict resolution dynamics during employees' first year of employment. By employing a mixed-methods approach, it provides nuanced insights and practical implications for human resource management and organizational behavior.