The rise of the experience economy has driven organizations to prioritize enhancing the employee experience (EX) as a strategic focus. Yet, scientific literature on EX is limited and predominantly conceptualizes it through a cognitive lens, overlooking its affective components. In this context, we propose an event-based cognitive -affective framework of EX, grounded in Affective Events Theory (AET) and the Met Expectations Hypothesis, to explore how meaningful workplace events during the onboarding period shape newcomer work outcomes. We posit that meaningful events trigger cognitive evaluations, such as (un)met expectations, which in turn elicit affective reactions, such as positive emotions, that influence weekly work engagement. Furthermore, we test whether positive candidate experience strengthens the relationship between met expectations and positive emotions. Using a four-week event-based longitudinal dataset collected from 289 newcomers working in Belgium and the Netherlands, results of this study support the proposed mediation model, validating the cognitive-affective mechanism underlying EX. While candidate experience did not moderate this relationship, it directly boosted weekly work engagement, highlighting the interdependence of experiences during onboarding. Practical insights emphasize monitoring expectations, fostering positive candidate experiences, and curating meaningful moments to enhance EX.
