What does the anticipatory stage primarily involve?

The anticipatory stage primarily involves the gathering of recruitment and selection information. During this stage, individuals begin forming expectations about their potential workplace environment and organizational culture even before they officially join an organization. This involves researching and understanding the organization’s values, practices, and the nature of the job roles they might take on. This stage sets the foundation for how new employees perceive their future experiences and helps them prepare for their entry into the organization.

In this context, understanding workplace norms and comparing roles happen later in the process once individuals have joined the organization and are actively navigating their roles. Employee performance evaluations take place after employees have been onboarded and have had time to demonstrate their work within the organization. Thus, the anticipatory stage is specifically focused on pre-employment information and expectations rather than post-employment experiences.