The Ones That Get Away: How to Avoid Losing Good Employees
employees stay with your company for years to come:
4 Send an offer letter. Everything decided in negotiations with new candidates needs to be placed in writing, including but not limited to position title, pay rate/salary, benefits, start date, and work schedule. This is also a place to show enthusiasm for the new employee and welcome them to the company. Give them a few days to review, sign, and return the letter, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
4 Develop a training plan. At a minimum, the employee’s first week should be scheduled out by their direct
As the economy gradually recovers from a difficult year,
supervisor/manager and anyone else connected to the
small businesses are working hard to bounce back. One
role. (In many instances, it’s even better to plan out two
challenge is rebuilding our workforce with solid new employees. Although many people are looking for work,
weeks.) Typical components of the first few weeks include orientation, safety training, introductions to the team, product demonstrations, and shadowing employees in
the changing realities of schooling, childcare, remote
similar roles. Beyond those first two weeks, plan goals
work, and unemployment benefits may make it difficult
and projects to further the employee’s growth, including
for both employers and candidates to find “the right fit.”
metrics to assess progress. Depending on the complexity
W
of the role, training plans can reach up to 90 days, with
ith increased competition for quality candidates,
specific goals in each month to help the employee start
it’s a good time to rethink your hiring process.
on the right track.
One area that many companies can improve is their new
4 Conduct pre-onboarding. Within a week of their
employee onboarding process. Careful onboarding can
first day, reach out to the new hire to confirm the start
be the key to retaining a great new hire. Research shows
date and time, and cover first day basics like directions
that 69% of employees who experience good onboarding
and parking. Share the training plan to help them get
stay with their companies for at least three years.
excited about what they will learn in this new position.
Additionally, 90% of employees decide whether to stay or
Depending on your organization, it might also make
leave a job within the first six months. This means that the
sense to set up access to company systems like email,
seeds of a long-term, successful partnership between an
shared drives, or building security before the first day.
employee and a company are planted early.
4 Plan a great first day. Make sure the new employee
The benefits of holding on to a good hire are numerous.
gets plenty of time to meet and talk with their new team.
Depending on the position, it can cost between $3,000
Clean and set up their designated workspace, providing
and $4,000 to replace an employee, not including the
all required tools and supplies. Small swag items, a group
new person’s pay and benefits. Recruiting is a costly
lunch, or even just a brief meeting to introduce the
process, and the institutional knowledge lost during
new person will help them feel welcome. If they’re not
employee turnover can take a long time to replace.
shadowing a supervisor, the supervisor should check in at
Follow these basic steps to create a great onboarding
least at the beginning and end of the day.
experience for a new hire. Add in details specific to your
4 Ongoing training and accountability. Do a 1 week, 30-
company and the new person’s role to ensure great
day, and 60-day check-in with the new employee. Assess
2 2 NORTH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R NO V EM BER 2020
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