Chen, JennyCooper-Thomas, HelenaCheung, GordonTrenberth, Linda2025-12-102025-12-102025-10-21The International Journal of Human Resource Management, ISSN: 0958-5192 (Print); 1466-4399 (Online), Informa UK Limited, 36(16), 2847-2877. doi: 10.1080/09585192.2025.25724850958-51921466-4399http://hdl.handle.net/10292/20384Newcomer relationship-building behaviors are usually considered beneficial. However, after closer inspection of past studies, the results were mixed. In this paper, we start to unpack these mixed effects by focusing on newcomer general socializing (i.e., building social connections by attending workplace events). Specifically, we investigate when newcomer general socializing is more or less beneficial for newcomer engagement by proposing two contrasting views: (1) applying conservation of resources theory, we argue general socializing increases engagement under high serial tactics, providing an augmentative effect; (2) utilizing attachment theory, we argue general socializing enhances engagement under low serial tactics, enabling a compensatory effect. Unexpectedly, neither an augmentative nor a compensatory effect was supported in Study 1 (China). To explain these results, we extend our investigation by including task interdependence as a boundary condition and test our predictions in Study 2 (Australia). The results of Study 2 support the compensatory effect: When newcomers experience low serial tactics under low task interdependence, general socializing enhances emotional engagement. However, general socializing is detrimental to cognitive engagement when newcomers experience high serial tactics under low task interdependence. Our research contributes to theory and provides insights to HR on how to tailor onboarding interventions to optimize newcomer engagement.© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/5205 Social and Personality Psychology35 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services52 Psychology1503 Business and Management1505 Marketing1605 Policy and AdministrationIndustrial Relations3505 Human resources and industrial relations3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour5201 Applied and developmental psychologyNewcomer adjustmentorganizational socializationproactive behaviorgeneral socializingworkplace eventsengagementJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1080/09585192.2025.2572485