Why the Messy Middle of Employee Experience Matters
When South African organisations think about employee experience in South Africa, our minds often jump to the excitement of the initial ascent: the attraction and onboarding phase. It’s a time of energy, enthusiasm, and new beginnings. But just like rock climbing, the real challenge begins once the initial thrill fades and you are navigating the “messy middle”.
It’s much like what employees go through after joining an organisation and completing their onboarding. They’re left to find their way through their daily tasks and career progression. This is when they’re essentially free climbing and things can quickly become challenging.
They are building relationships and learning unwritten rules. They are trying to contribute meaningfully while managing their own career development. For many, this period feels uncertain and unsupported. For organisations, it is where engagement drops, performance plateaus and turnover risk rises.
So, what can you do to help make this free climb safer and more enjoyable for everyone? We believe you should focus your energy on two key EX elements: your employee value proposition (EVP) and a carefully mapped employee journey.
What the Messy Middle of Employee Experience in South Africa Looks Like
After onboarding, employees are largely left to find their own way. They are building relationships, learning unwritten rules, trying to contribute meaningfully and managing their own career development simultaneously. For many, this period feels uncertain and unsupported. For organisations, it is the phase where engagement drops, performance plateaus and turnover risk rises sharply.
Research from Gallup consistently shows that employee experience South Africa faces a sharp engagement decline in the months following onboarding. In South Africa, where skills retention is a critical business risk, this is not just an HR issue. It is a commercial one.
Two Levers That Make the Biggest Difference
LRMG and Torque identify two elements that have the greatest impact during the messy middle: the employee value proposition (EVP) and a carefully designed employee journey.
A strong EVP gives employees a clear, credible answer to the question “why should I stay here?” It connects their personal growth and purpose to the organisation’s goals. When leaders live the EVP daily, rather than stating it only in recruitment material, employees feel it in their work. That feeling is what keeps them.
Organisations that invest in this phase see better retention and stronger engagement. They also see higher performance from people who have moved beyond initial excitement into genuine contribution.
What South African Organisations Should Do Now to Improve Employee Experience
The “messy middle” will always exist. The goal is not to eliminate complexity but to equip people to navigate it confidently. Organisations that invest in this phase see measurably better retention, stronger engagement and higher performance from people who have moved beyond the initial excitement and settled into genuine contribution.
If your EVP is not supporting retention in the messy middle, there is a gap to address. If your employee journey has no clear milestone after onboarding, that is where people get lost. LRMG’s Talent Advisory practice and Torque can help you fix both.
Check out our full blog post for our insights and advice on how to best approach the “messy middle” and use this phase to build stronger, more engaged employees
Need more support in reinventing your EVP or employee journey? Visit our Torque page and let’s create EX magic together.
