Reflection at work—turning attention inward to analyze experiences—is essential to learning and adaptation. Yet
prior research has emphasized rumination's negative effects while neglecting constructive reflection as a
learnable, routinized behavior. This longitudinal study investigates how newcomers develop reflection habits
and how these influence learning, adjustment, and performance.
Participants (N ≈ 200) were tracked over four months during onboarding in two large Chinese companies.
Results indicate that newcomers form different reflection habits—task-focused, relation-focused, or
emotion-focused—that differentially predict learning and adjustment. Task-focused reflection enhances
problem-solving and adaptation; relation-focused reflection improves collaboration; and emotion-focused
rumination hinders adjustment and performance. By integrating insights from the habit and learning literatures, this research reconceptualizes reflection as
a modifiable cognitive routine rather than a fixed trait. It suggests practical implications for onboarding
programs: structured reflection prompts and supervisor feedback can reinforce constructive reflection
patterns, improving employee learning trajectories. This work contributes to a more nuanced understanding
of reflection's role in workplace learning and habit formation