Reducing unwanted turnover is imperative for any organization’s long-term success. Employees’ current engagement levels underline the diculty of this challenge.
Employee Benet News (EBN) reports that employee dissatisfaction has reached its highest level in 10 years. Just 18% of employees say they are extremely satised at work. Dissatisfaction leads to departures. According to Gallup, more than 50% of employees are actively seeking other jobs. These levels haven’t been seen since 2015.
The usual suspects of bad management, poor work culture and lack of career development always play a role. But the Canadian employee benets rm Montridge additionally points to some often-overlooked causes of employee turnover, including:
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Improper onboarding
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Unclear job expectations
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Lack of recognition
Improper onboarding
Onboarding sets the tone for an employee’s time with your organization. It’s critical to set clear expectations for the rst weeks and months.
Montridge recommends ensuring employees’ responsibilities match their job descriptions. Work with managers to provide clarity by scheduling weekly check-ins. For new hires, these discussions may need to occur two or three times a week. Managers should discuss short-term and long-term goals for individual employees, their teams and your organization.
Onboarding is also a time to promote professional development and career paths. This step encourages employees to envision a future with your organization.
Showing employees you care about their personal well-being and their professional success can further improve retention. The HR news site Human Resources Director (HRD) suggests connecting new hires to established employees throughout your organization. HRD says having friends at work creates a sense of inclusion and leads to thriving employees.
Unclear job expectations
Clear job responsibilities are crucial to retention, but it’s an area many organizations overlook. According to EBN, only 45% of employees understand what they’re expected to accomplish.
Gallup reports that clarifying employee expectations can improve performance by 11% and prots by 9%. Forbes notes that clear expectations increase fulllment, satisfaction and engagement. Clarity also motivates employees to develop their skills and advance their careers.
In addition to what employees should be doing, explain why it matters. This extra step adds meaning to their work. Forbes recommends working with employees to answer statements such as: “How would you dene success for this week, this month, this quarter and this year?” Answers can provide insights into next steps and create ongoing discussions around short- and long-term goals.
Lack of recognition
In the day-to-day battle of deadline-driven work, it’s easy to forget the value of thanking your employees for their hard work. According to Montridge, turnover rises when employees feel undervalued or unappreciated. Financial perks are always welcome, but authentic recognition doesn’t require money. Praise your employees’ eorts in one-on-one discussions and group meetings. Celebrate accomplishments big and small. Highlight standout performers in emails, newsletters, social media posts and other company communications.
Employees want to know they make a difference. According to HRD, having a sense of purpose at work helps them thrive. But thriving employees are not the norm. HRD cites a study by Indeed that found only 22% of employees worldwide consider themselves to be thriving.
Recognition shows you care and demonstrates employees’ impact on others. Recognition also builds a sense of purpose and connects individual work to organizational goals. EBN reports that connecting employees to your mission can increase productivity by 15% and reduce turnover by 32%.
Exploring strategies
For more solutions to reduce turnover, talk to your benefits adviser. They can help you examine onboarding processes, job descriptions, manager training, recognition programs, and other strategies to increase employee engagement and retention.
