Extract: Turnover is costly, but organizations can take simple steps to prevent it. Here are four methods that can decrease the odds of employees leaving their jobs.

Bringing a team member onboard is always exciting - new talent and a new personality will surely bring good things to the company.

Unfortunately, new hires don’t always pan out the way you hope. Work Institute’s 2020 Retention Report found that 37.9% of interviewees left their organization within a year.

Turnover is costly for any organization, but it can often be prevented by taking measures from the first time a potential employee engages with a company.

1. Get the job description right

Job characteristics were the #1 reason for employee turnover within the first 30 days of employment, according to the Work Institute.

The job description should accurately reflect the actual responsibilities of the role you’re filling, business publication CIO pointed out. Applicants will tailor their resumes, cover letters and other application materials to the information posted in the job description. If there’s any discrepancy, you may attract the wrong talent.

Additionally, information about the culture of your organization can help bring in applicants who feel they’d be a good match for your team.

2. Look for cultural fit

Company culture plays an important role in how employees will adapt to their new work environment, and each individual has their own impact on the environment. Ensuring each job candidate is a good cultural fit - meaning they exemplify similar values and behaviors as your existing team - can reduce the likelihood of turnover.

To attract more applicants who will likely fit in well with your existing employees, try incentivizing employee referrals, using behavioral interviewing techniques and conducting reference checks.

3. Be clear about career opportunities

Career development was the top reason for turnover in the first year, according to the Work Institute. In other words, these employees didn’t feel the company could support their goals for future growth and learning.

From the beginning of the relationship with new candidates, be clear about the career advancement opportunities available to them. If there’s a succession path they may be eligible for, show them this. If there are work-study benefits that allow workers to pursue advanced degrees or certificates throughout their employment at your company, make this clear.

Your company wants long-term employees. Having tangible ways that your company can support their career goals can help to retain employees throughout their journeys.

4. Train managers to lead effectively

Though just 12% of employees left their companies due to manager behavior in 2019, the Work Institute pointed out that this reason has become more prominent in recent years. Some of the most common behaviors exhibited by managers that led to turnover were unprofessionalism and poor treatment of employees.

Managers are critical components of productive teams. Poor management can reduce morale, productivity and communication throughout the organization.

To ensure your new team members have a positive experience, provide each manager with training to respond well to employees’ needs. They may benefit from leadership workshops, remedial counseling when problems arise and training in communication strategies.

With the right hiring and onboarding processes in place, your organization can find the right fit for every open position and set them up for success. Learn more about the applicant tracking and onboarding solution built right into the iSolved platform.

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