Improve Employee Retention & Reduce Staff Turnover

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<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>
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<li>Retaining staff is often cheaper than recruiting new ones. Effective onboarding and ongoing engagement is crucial.</li>
<li>Foster a sense of belonging through strong work relationships.</li>
<li>Help new employees achieve early successes to build confidence and credibility with quick wins.</li>
<li>Enhance socialisation and job satisfaction through workplace buddies.</li>
<li>Frequently check in with staff to address issues.</li>
<li>Use performance benchmarks and leverage top performers for training.</li>
<li>Ensure promotions are fair and based on clear performance criteria.</li>
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Employee retention plays a crucial role in minimising the need to recruit. Retaining employees is more cost-effective than constantly recruiting new ones. 

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Employee Onboarding

Starting a new job can be a smooth transition or a difficult adjustment, heavily influenced by the effectiveness of the onboarding process. 

If a new hire doesn’t have good work relationships with colleagues, doesn’t understand their job or has unrealistic expectations of what the role will entail, they may leave. This would be a huge inconvenience, recruitment would have been for nothing, and it would be back to the drawing board!

A well-structured onboarding programme ensures new hires integrate seamlessly, fosters relationships with managers and workplace buddies, and sets the stage for long-term success.

The line manager should follow these simple steps for successful induction on the new employee’s first day.

• Greet the new employee at the door:
  • Leaving them waiting creates a bad first impression and is likely to make them more nervous.
• Show them their workspace:
  • Encourage the employee to personalise it if they wish. 
  • Have their technology and login credentials ready. 
  • If they work remotely, ensure that any equipment is sent to them promptly.
  • Group new employees together. They often find it easier to build relationships as they’re going through the same transition together.
• Tour the office:
  • Do this early in the day. 
  • Show them the emergency exits and fire procedures, as well as the location of the toilets and where to get a drink.
  • Introduce other staff, particularly if they will be part of their team.
• Have lunch together:
  • A new employee who has to eat alone on day one is likely to feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. 
  • Arrange to take them out to lunch or invite them to join you. This will build relationships and help the new employee integrate more quickly.
• Explain the Great Performance Profile:
  • Give them a copy so they know how their performance will be measured. 
  • Explain that performance reviews will be held regularly and that you encourage lots of feedback.
• Give a plan for their first week:
  • This should include the times and locations of any staff training sessions and introductory meetings.
  • Help new employees achieve quick wins to build their credibility and confidence. This enhances their decision-making abilities and integrates them into the team more effectively.‍
• Assign a workplace buddy:‍
  • Ideally a Great Performer. 
  • Buddies help their socialisation, performance, and overall job satisfaction.‍
• Regularly follow-up:‍
  • Don’t wait for performance reviews. Conduct frequent check-ins to address any issues, assess training effectiveness, and ensure alignment with company culture and expectations. 

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Employee Retention

The first days and weeks should go smoothly if you follow the above steps, but don’t get complacent. The line manager should continue to be vigilant to any doubts, confusion or signs of dissatisfaction from new and long-term employees.

• Performance reviewers:
  • Use the Great Performance Profile to benchmark employees' performance with weekly and monthly performance reviews. These will identify areas for improvement and training opportunities.
  • Weekly performance review meetings usually last 15 minutes and are a quick opportunity to reflect on the week, identify potential issues, and focus on the week ahead.
  • Monthly performance reviews are more detailed, lasting approximately 45 minutes.‍
• Ongoing training:‍
  • One of my SECRETS is to use Great Performers for training. Using your top performers to train new hires allows them to share their successful strategies and insights.
  • The trainer also benefits from this approach, giving them purpose and inspiring them beyond their regular job.‍
• Promote based on merit:‍
  • Promote employees based on merit, assessed against the Great Performance Profile, to minimise bias and ensure better decision-making.
  • Always conduct a Structured Interview with existing employees before you promote them.

Be careful if you need to decline an internal candidate. For specific advice on this topic see our guide 3 Techniques for Declining Candidate Professionally and chapter 18 of my recruitment book.

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Additional Resources

• Talent Acquisition Book; The Secrets of Great Recruitment: How to Recruit Great Employees.
• Downloadable PDF guide; Simple Steps to Enhance Employee Retention & Reduce Turnover.
• Downloadable checklist; Checklist for Employee Onboarding.
• Article; Staff Induction Secrets: How to Turn New Hires into Great Performers!
• Article; Performance Management Secrets: How the Best Leaders Handle Reviews.
• Article; Staff Training Secrets: Why Your Best Trainers Might Be Sitting Next to You!
• Article; Employee Promotion: Why Merit Beats Tenure Every Time.