Dive Brief:

• Nearly half of workers have left a job because it didn't align with their expectations, according to a new survey by London-based ThriveMap, a pre-hire assessment firm. It found that 48% of workers left their job because it wasn't what they thought it would be. When asked what differed from expectations, respondents cited job responsibilities (59%), working environment (42%), work hours or shift patterns (35%) and salary or benefits (29%). ThriveMap surveyed 1,000 full-time workers.
• A higher percentage of Gen Z respondents (73%), those aged 18 to 24, reported leaving their job for not meeting their expectations. ThriveMap said that, given the generation's recent entry into the workforce, a disconnect between what its members were promised in the job interview and what the job actually entailed could be a reason for their disappointment.
• "It's clear from our research that the current recruitment process is failing many employees, leading them to accept roles that weren't what they expected. This situation is also harmful for employers, costing them valuable time and resources through increased employee churn," ThriveMap CEO Chris Platts said in a statement. "Businesses need to take a fresh look at their recruitment processes to ensure they test effectively for the skills that are actually required for the role, not ones they assume are important. They also need to present both the job and the organization honestly. Employees will appreciate this open approach, giving them the confidence to know what to expect when they start a new job."

Dive Insight:

These days, workers expect more transparency from employers — that remains true during the interview process. Culture is key for employees, and the wrong message about what it's really like to work for a company can cause them to leave a job before they settle into a role. That's why Kim Dawson, director of employee experience at YouEarnedIt, thinks it is so important for companies to align the culture they promote with the one employees create and experience. "If your company has created a culture that truly values the employee experience, and your employees understand your core values and what they look like in action, this alignment should come very easily," she previously told HR Dive.

Although pay and benefits came in last on the list of respondents' job disappointments in ThriveMap's report, almost a third of respondents cited it as a motivating factor for leaving a job. Pay transparency has become a critical factor in gaining employee trust and satisfaction. Employers feel pressure from workers demanding better pay practices — like those at Google — and from a brightening spotlight on race- and gender-based pay inequality to disclose wages and salaries in job ads, interviews and mandatory compensation reports.