Imagine your organization as a finely tuned orchestra, where each new hire is a crucial note that adds depth to the symphony of success.
Yet, with an unsettling frequency, these vital notes are falling silent, leaving a discordant gap in your performance.
The discord echoes in every corridor, every cubicle: another promising new hire has left, leaving in its wake a whirlwind of frustration, added costs, and decreased productivity.
You may not have anticipated this turnover symphony, but it's a harsh reality that is all too familiar in the constantly evolving business world.
Amidst economic fluctuations, technological disruptions, and an ever-changing job market, maintaining a stable workforce is no less than a herculean task.
Work culture is no longer about lifetime employment; the trend has noticeably shifted towards frequent job changes to climb the career ladder faster or attain higher compensation.
Companies need to anticipate this change and devise thoughtful strategies to retain their best talent, especially in the critical early stages of employment.
However, in the vast orchestral ensemble that is a large organization, identifying the areas to focus on or initiate a deep investigation can be challenging.
Misdirected efforts may lead to wasted resources and negligible impact on the turnover rates, adding another sour note to the corporate melody.
Such scenarios are not uncommon and have a root in lack of understanding of the employee's perspective and their workplace experience.
How then, can you bring harmony back to your organization's symphony?
One potentially effective strategy is regular and insightful employee surveys that can provide a wealth of data to guide your future initiatives and policies.
How to prevent new hire turnover
How is New Hire Turnover Different from Regular Turnover
As an HR professional, you deal with employee turnover regularly. It's an inevitable part of the business landscape. But new hire turnover presents a unique set of challenges.
New hires are statistically more likely to resign compared to seasoned employees. This trend can be puzzling and frustrating, but there's a simple explanation: attachment.
A new hire is like a sapling freshly planted in unfamiliar soil. The roots haven't delved deep, bonds with the team are still forming, and a sense of belonging is yet to be established.
This lack of attachment makes it easier for a new hire to sever ties with the organization at the slightest hint of discomfort or discontent. Hence, managing new hire turnover requires strategies different from those used for regular turnover.
Why Does New Hire Turnover Matter?
Employee Turnover Lowers Morale
When a team is prepared to integrate a new member, only for the person to depart prematurely, it's more than just a change in headcount. It's an emotional jolt that can resonate through your organization.
The excitement of gaining a new team member can swiftly turn into disappointment, even disillusionment. This can lead to questions and uncertainty within the team. "Why did they leave? Could it happen to me? Is something wrong with our team or company?"
These doubts can cause a decline in morale, affecting not just the immediate team, but the overall organizational climate. And when morale is low, engagement, commitment, and ultimately, productivity, can suffer.
Employee Turnover Decreases Productivity
The departure of a new hire is not simply about losing an extra pair of hands. It's about the interruption of work, the adjustment of responsibilities, and the effort to maintain performance levels despite the void.
The immediate team must often pick up the slack, stretching their capacities and potentially sacrificing the quality of their work. Even as a new replacement is sought, there's a period of reduced productivity that the organization must weather.
In addition, turnover disrupts the dynamics of the team. When new hires leave, they take with them unique skills and perspectives that the team must learn to do without, at least temporarily. This loss of diversity can lead to less innovative solutions and potentially, slower growth.
New Hire Turnover Can Impact Employer Brand
Every interaction an employee has with your organization contributes to your employer brand, which in turn, affects how prospective candidates perceive you.
When new hires leave, they take their experiences with them into the job market. They talk to colleagues, friends, and family. They leave reviews on platforms like Glassdoor. In the era of social media, a single negative experience can be shared and amplified within moments.
A pattern of new hires leaving quickly paints a picture of an organization where people do not wish to stay. This can deter potential candidates, making it harder for you to attract and retain talent in the future.
New Hire Turnover Strains Hiring Budget
The cost of hiring a new employee goes beyond just the salary. It includes the cost of recruitment advertising, time spent screening and interviewing, onboarding and training, and administrative processing.
When a new hire leaves prematurely, all these investments yield no return. What's more, you now have to incur the same costs again to fill the same position. This strain on your budget could be channeled towards other productive avenues if turnover was reduced.
Plus, repeated hiring for the same position can lead to rushed decisions, compromising the quality of hires. As a result, it's not just a financial strain, but a potential downward spiral affecting your workforce's competency.
Why Do New Hires Leave?
Poor Onboarding and New Employee Training
Imagine the nerves and excitement of stepping into a new office environment. Every employee embarks on this journey with high hopes and an eagerness to make a positive impact. However, without a comprehensive onboarding process, these optimistic beginnings can quickly descend into confusion and frustration.
A disorganized, rushed, or incomplete onboarding process can leave new hires uncertain about their duties, confused about their roles, and unsure about their place in the broader organizational structure. This uncertainty can lead to a sense of isolation and being overwhelmed. They may find it challenging to form connections with their colleagues, understand company culture, or grasp the nuances of their specific role. The failure to integrate successfully into their new work environment could be a significant factor contributing to their decision to leave the company.
On the other side, effective training programs equip new hires with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their jobs confidently and efficiently. Without adequate training, a new employee might struggle to fulfill their role, leading to performance-related stress, dissatisfaction, and, ultimately, the decision to quit. Training should not be seen as a one-time event but rather an ongoing process that allows new hires to continually enhance their skills and knowledge base.
The Job Isn't What They Signed Up For
Job expectations are often formed during the recruitment process, based on job descriptions, interviews, and other interactions with the company. When the reality of the job doesn't match these initial expectations, it can lead to dissatisfaction and disillusionment.
Perhaps the role requires more administrative tasks than anticipated, the team dynamics are different from what was portrayed, or the company culture isn't as progressive as it was presented. Whatever the discrepancy, a perceived bait-and-switch situation can cause the new hire to question the company's transparency and integrity. It's a breach of trust that can lead to disengagement and the eventual decision to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Another aspect is the job's growth prospects. If a new hire perceives that the role doesn't offer the professional development or career advancement opportunities that they were seeking, it can be a source of disappointment. This perception can contribute to their decision to leave the organization in pursuit of a role that aligns better with their long-term career goals.
They Have a Poor Relationship With Their Manager
The relationship with their immediate supervisor plays a crucial role in a new hire's work experience. The manager serves not only as a role model but also as a primary source of guidance, feedback, and support. If this relationship is characterized by conflict, lack of communication, or inadequate support, it can negatively impact the new hire's job satisfaction and engagement levels.
Perhaps the manager is inaccessible, leading the new hire to feel lost or unsupported. Or maybe the manager's leadership style is overly critical or fails to acknowledge the new hire's efforts, leaving them feeling undervalued and unrecognized. The lack of clear, constructive feedback from a manager can impede a new hire's learning and growth, leading to frustration and low job satisfaction. Similarly, a manager who doesn't provide the necessary support during the challenging initial period can leave the new hire feeling overwhelmed and unsure about their ability to perform their role effectively.
Managers play a significant role in establishing a supportive and motivating work environment. A negative relationship with a manager can drive a new hire to consider leaving, underlining the importance of managers being trained and equipped to engage effectively with their new team members.
How to Reduce New Hire Turnover
Use Onboarding Surveys
Onboarding surveys provide a unique opportunity to gain insights into a new hire's perception of your organization, their role, and their experiences during the initial days of their journey. Platforms like Sparkbay can help you effectively manage this process, providing powerful tools for survey creation, distribution, and data analysis.
The feedback gathered through Sparkbay from these surveys can shed light on several key aspects of the onboarding process, such as the effectiveness of the orientation program, the clarity of role expectations, the quality of training, and the level of support provided. This data helps you comprehend the highs and lows of a new hire's initial experience, enabling you to make timely adjustments that can significantly enhance their satisfaction and engagement levels.
However, onboarding surveys should not be a one-off exercise. With Sparkbay, you can easily conduct regular follow-up surveys to track how the new hire's experience evolves over time. This constant feedback loop allows for a dynamic approach to improving their experience, thus promoting a healthy, engaging work environment that encourages retention.
Improve Your Hiring Process
The hiring process is the first formal interaction a potential employee has with your organization. It plays a crucial role in setting initial expectations and shaping the new hire's perception of your company. A poorly managed hiring process can lead to misaligned expectations, resulting in new hire dissatisfaction and early turnover.
To improve the hiring process, ensure transparency in every step, from clear and accurate job descriptions to open and honest communication during interviews. Each interaction should reinforce the candidate's understanding of the role, the company culture, and the expectations of them.
Another critical aspect is candidate experience. A respectful, responsive, and engaging hiring process can leave a lasting positive impression on candidates, increasing their likelihood of accepting an offer and reducing the chances of early departure due to disappointment with the process.
Plan Onboarding Programs
An onboarding program serves as a comprehensive guide for new hires, leading them through their first few weeks or months in the organization. It's more than just an orientation program; it's a systematic and structured approach to equipping new hires with the resources, knowledge, and connections necessary for them to perform and thrive in their new roles.
Successful onboarding programs typically include clear job training, exposure to company culture, opportunities to network with colleagues, and an introduction to organizational structure and processes. This comprehensive approach helps new hires feel confident, informed, and connected to the organization, reducing their anxiety and promoting productivity.
A well-designed onboarding program not only provides a supportive transition for new hires but also fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty, which significantly reduces the likelihood of early turnover.
Coordinate with Hiring Managers
As an HR professional, your role in reducing new hire turnover is undeniably significant. However, hiring managers also play an indispensable part in this process. They are the new hire's primary point of contact and support during the initial days and are instrumental in establishing a positive and productive working relationship.
Working closely with hiring managers can ensure a unified approach to setting clear role expectations, providing supportive supervision, and maintaining open lines of communication. A good hiring manager can help create a welcoming, inclusive, and engaging work environment that fosters job satisfaction and motivates new hires to stay with the organization.
Training hiring managers in effective onboarding techniques, providing them with feedback on their management style, and fostering an open dialogue about new hire retention can significantly enhance their ability to support new hires in their initial days and beyond.
Preventing new hire turnover is a journey
Preventing new hire turnover is more than just a strategic goal, it's a journey towards creating a work environment that values every member, fosters their growth, and celebrates their contributions.
As an HR professional, you are at the helm of this journey. Your decisions and actions have a powerful impact on the experiences of new hires.
By focusing on transparent hiring processes, supportive onboarding programs, and meaningful interactions, you can significantly reduce new hire turnover and shape a more stable, engaged, and productive workforce.
Remember, each new hire is a potential success story for your organization, and it’s within your power to ensure that they remain part of your corporate symphony.
If you're interested in learning how Sparkbay can help you prevent new hire turnover, you can click here for a demo.
