The post-Covid work world is proving to be quite a challenge for employers who are struggling to keep lower-level positions filled such as merchandisers, warehouse workers, and dish washers. The problem appears to be greater than a one time “great resignation” that began in the summer of 2021. Instead, we are looking at a “great reshuffling” with workers moving from business to business in search of better jobs, even after they’ve been recently hired. In a survey from April, 2022, employee management software platform, Lattice, discovered that more than half (52%) of respondents who have been at their job for three months or less are already looking for a new job. That number grew to 59% for people who had been on the job for between three and six months.
For prior generations, this kind of job hopping would have been almost unimaginable. Even five years ago the prevailing wisdom was that employees should stay in a job for a bare minimum of one year, but ideally two to three years to show stability. Recruiters had been accustomed to using job history and longevity at prior work places to screen for desirable candidates. And it was generally expected that once a new hire was onboarded, that they would be with the company for at least a year. In the current employment environment, it is harder for HR to use time with prior companies as a marker of a good potential employee.
Constant turnover is very expensive so employers may be wondering how to retain employees in this environment. The trick is to figure out what employees are looking for now and offer those things so you not only get desirable applicants, but also keep them around.
How to retain employees in 2022
Be the company employers want to work for in 2022
With employee expectations so high, this is an opportunity for business owners to assess and make improvements to their company to attract and retain the best talent. Employees are leaving companies that don’t treat them with respect, fail to offer opportunities for advancement, and refuse to provide any workplace flexibility. How can your company improve on these three issues?
Be honest about your company
Gone are the days when employers didn’t have to reveal much about how their company operates in order to get qualified candidates. Today’s employees want to know about a business’ values and company culture before they apply. They are also more likely to ask questions about what it’s like to work at your business during the interview process. It is very important for a company to be open, honest, and transparent about the company culture and day-to-day work environment before hiring new workers. When workers are not prepared for the reality of what it’s like to work for a business, they are much more likely to become dissatisfied in the first few weeks on the job and start looking for new work.
Provide effective onboarding
Getting employees to the three-month mark is vital because it’s at this point when new employees either begin to feel like they are comfortable with their role and the company culture or they aren’t. Onboarding is the process used to help integrate new hires into the organization. If you’re still using the same processes as you were pre-Covid, it’s time to review them. For one thing, many employees are now working hybrid schedules or working entirely from home and its up to the employer to ensure that they feel like they are part of a team, whether or not they are working in person. The onboarding process should help new employees understand and find a way to connect with the mission and values of a company as well as with their co-workers. Pair a manager or “onboarding buddy” with each new employee to ensure that they are getting great guidance and support during these initial months.
Schedule a 30-day check-in
It doesn’t do any good to schedule a check in at the one-year mark of employee tenure anymore when more than half of new-hires may be gone before then. Instead, schedule a 30-day check-in to ask how things are going.
- Ask if their experience has matched what they were expecting from the job interview.
- Ask if they have any concerns or frustrations about the job and what you can do to address them.
- Ask what has gone well in their first month on the job and what could have been done better.
It’s not that people don’t want to work; it’s that their expectations have risen dramatically. Finding the right workers to fill open positions is only good if you can retain them for a reasonable length of time. Use the retention tips in this article to help your company stand out as the place where people want to work.
Are you a small business that needs HR support? When you partner with Makai HR you can get on with the business you are trying to grow while we take care of your employee needs from payroll to taxes, health insurance/benefits and worker’s compensation. You also gain peace of mind that you are compliant with all of Hawaii’s employer laws (if you’ve ever looked you know that the list is very long and changes happen). When choosing a PEO to partner with, there are many things to consider including cost, services, and technology solutions.
With the cost of doing business in Hawaii at record highs, we know how important it is to keep labor costs in line with revenue. Our plans are priced competitively and include value-added services like time-in/time-out systems. Our three tiers of PEO service plans are tailored to the size of your business and specific needs. We offer a 100% paperless solution which means that your employees can manage their needs through a computer, tablet, or phone. We can truly improve your employees’ work benefits while freeing you up to run your business.
What are you waiting for? Companies that partner with a PEO benefit from 7-9% faster growth, 10-14% lower employee turnover; and they are 50% less likely to go out of business. Contact us today to get started!