How to avoid losing new employees in the first 6 months
Recruiting the best people takes time, money and effort, but it pays off in the long run through the value they bring to your business.
That’s why it’s vital to develop a strong retention strategy to avoid losing your new recruits within months. Here are five tactics to encourage a longer commitment from new employees.
Provide a realistic job preview The first day of a new job can be overwhelming, especially when it’s not what you were expecting. If the description of the job and the culture doesn’t match the reality, employees will soon plan their exit. Give candidates a realistic preview of the job – and that includes the good and the bad elements. This takes courage, but it’s better in the long run to be honest. Few jobs are perfect.
Invest time in thorough onboarding Onboarding isn’t just about setting an employee up with the basics they need to get started. Onboarding is a longer-term process that can increase employee engagement by making them feel welcome, introducing them to your company values and giving them the tools that they need to succeed. Onboarding doesn’t finish after the first day and it involves more than giving them a manual of company polices. It should also include ongoing discussions about what an employee is expected to deliver, the goals that they have, and how you can support them.
Set clear expectations that you both agree on Some employers give new recruits a list of KPIs on day one and revisit them during a formal performance review. This approach can create a disincentive to stay with an organisation. Making performance part of a broader conservation with them can shape ongoing career development. This helps them to envision a longer-term career with you. Employees and hiring managers should agree on what success looks like in the role. Rather than just offering them a contract and a job description, it’s a good idea to develop a plan on a page and agree to a set of goals and work out how they can be supported to achieve the goals.
Provide support and feedback If employees feel supported, they are more likely to stay for the longer term. McLeod says support can be provided through constructive feedback and recognition of their work. For example, you can provide an external coach assist your newly hired CEO with the transition. The search is not easy, you need to make sure you’re invested in their support. Of course, this type of approach can apply to all new hires – whether CEO or graduate – and takes different forms based on their level and requirements. A new starter workshop or one-off coaching session could be examples.
Offer valuable training from the very start Employees may stay for longer in an organisation that invests in their future. Learning and development doesn’t always require a big training budget because much of it can be done on the job. A lot of organisations have adopted the ‘70:20:10’ model for learning and development. The 70% is made up of what they are learning or practicing on the job, while the 20% can include mentoring or coaching and the 10% is the formal learning through courses.
It’s disappointing – and costly – when great talent walks out the door, especially if they’re a relatively new recruit. But a sharp retention strategy can help you to keep employees well beyond the first six months, encouraging a valuable longer-term commitment to your organisation.