Job description
The Department of Human Resource Studies at Tilburg University is looking for a PhD student in the field of employee experience. Specifically, the research aim will be to understand how expectations and emotions interact in shaping newcomers’ experiences in the workplace and how organizations can intervene to optimize those experiences. This research will combine insights from psychology, strategic HRM, and marketing. 

This position is primarily dedicated to carrying out the proposed research (see project description), with the aim to write a dissertation consisting of academic articles that are publishable in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, you will frequently disseminate your insights in practice through presentations or popular articles. The employment also involves (minor) contributions to teaching allowing you to gain teaching experience.

The PhD student will be working under the supervision of Dr. Sanne Fijneman-Ghielen (1st daily supervisor), Dr. Keri Pekaar (2nd daily supervisor), and Dr. Karina van de Voorde (promotor). Our supervisory team brings expertise from diverse backgrounds including employer branding and candidate experience (Sanne), workplace emotions and interventions (Keri), and HRM, well-being, and performance (Karina). We are committed and enthusiastic to guide you throughout your PhD trajectory. We aim for open communication in both directions to create fruitful conditions for an inspiring learning experience.

Project description
The research that you will be working on, relates to the following project:

Experiences have become central to today’s modern economy (Pine & Gilmore, 1999). While the need for managing customer experiences was quickly recognized, there has only been a recent shift towards managing employee experiences in the workplace (Plaskoff, 2017). The newcomer phase is an impactful period regarding how employees experience work and has far-reaching influences on well-being and turnover. However, research in this area is still limited, and the existing studies lack a holistic view integrating both cognitive (e.g., expectations) and affective (e.g., emotions) employee experience elements. The research aims of this project are threefold: (1) to identify which work and HR-related events matter most in newcomer socialization, (2) to explore how individual and organizational factors shape newcomer experiences, and (3) to investigate how organizations can intervene to manage and enhance newcomer experiences. As a PhD researcher on this project, you will combine multidisciplinary insights from the psychology, strategic HRM, and customer experience literature to develop a comprehensive understanding of antecedents and consequences of newcomer experiences and generate fruitful insights to optimize experiences in the workplace. Note that this project will be built on extensive collaborations with practice (various partner companies will be involved) in the form of co-creation to generate insights that are both practically and theoretically relevant.

Your qualifications 
Are you eager to learn and do you have an affinity with applied, quantitative research? Then this job might be interesting for you. We are looking for someone interested in doing research into newcomer experiences from a multidisciplinary perspective. For this PhD project, the ideal candidate has relevant work experience in practice (e.g., internship, side job) and preferably speaks Dutch. Moreover, sound knowledge of statistics is required. Specifically, experience with either multilevel analysis or intervention studies is desired. You can work autonomously, are proactive, and possess excellent communication skills in the business context. Lastly, you should have a nearly or recently completed (Research) Master’s degree in HR, marketing, psychology, or a closely related field

 
Our offer 
This is a position for 1.0 FTE (40 hours per week) of the full-time working week. 
The salary amounts to a minimum of €2.770 and a maximum of €3.539 gross per month for full-time employment contract, based on UFO profile PhD student and salary scale number PhD’s of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Tilburg University uses a neutral salary system for scaling that is based on relevant education and work experience. 

You are entitled to a vacation allowance of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% of your gross annual income. If you work 40 hours per week, you will receive 41 paid days of leave per year.
Tilburg University offers excellent employment conditions. We think flexibility, professional and personal development, and good employee benefits are important. We make clear agreements about career paths and offer all kinds of facilities and schemes to maintain an optimal balance between work and private life. You can also follow numerous training courses, for example, in the areas of leadership skills, personal effectiveness, and career development.  
 
Tilburg University values an open and inclusive culture. We embrace diversity and encourage the mutual integration of groups of employees and students. We focus on creating equal opportunities for all our employees and students so that everyone feels at home in our university community. Tilburg University has a lively campus in beautiful green surroundings that is easily accessible by public transport. We are committed to a sustainable society and challenge you to make an active contribution.
 
Please visit working at Tilburg University for more information on our terms of employment.