The effect of pursuing a gender-nontraditional profession on young newcomers' occupational self-efficacy via frequency of evaluative feedback

We investigated the effect of young newcomers' pursuit of gender-nontraditional professions on their occupational self-efficacy after starting work via the perceived frequency of evaluative feedback from others in their companies. Our research model was based on social–cognitive career theory and tokenism theory. We surveyed a longitudinal sample of 1269 adolescents (female: 44 %) at the end of compulsory school (ninth grade in Switzerland) and at the end of their first year of work experience as young newcomers. A structural equation model with multigroup comparison by gender showed no gender differences. Young female and male newcomers' pursuit of gender-nontraditional apprenticeship professions significantly affected their occupational self-efficacy after 1 year of work experience, mediated by the perceived frequency of evaluative feedback they received from coworkers. We controlled for the effects of newcomers' preentry occupational self-efficacy and preentry expectations about work conditions, as well as the effect of conscientiousness on occupational self-efficacy after 1 year of work experience. We further controlled for the effect of young newcomers' conscientiousness on perceived frequency of evaluative feedback from others in their companies. Our findings clarify the crucial role of frequent evaluative feedback from coworkers for occupational self-efficacy among young newcomers in gender-nontraditional professions. The longitudinal effect of preentry occupational self-efficacy on occupational self-efficacy after starting work underlines the importance of young newcomers' job preparation. •Young newcomers in gender-nontraditional professions perceive less frequent evaluative work performance feedback.•Frequency of feedback strengthens young newcomers' occupational self-efficacy after 1 year of work experience.•Young newcomers' pursuit of gender-nontraditional professions negatively impacts their self-efficacy via feedback.•Young newcomers' preentry occupational self-efficacy positively affects their occupational self-efficacy 1 year later.•This study emphasizes the crucial role of company feedback culture and underlines the importance of job preparation.