5 essential employee retention tips

It is every manager’s nightmare when a star employee quits unexpectedly.

You’re suddenly forced to fill a position, and it’s costly to recruit and train a replacement.

Beyond cash concerns, employees might quit for a multitude of reasons, including:

Of course, pay, benefits and a healthy work environment are essential to keeping your best workers happy, but there are many other crucial retention factors to consider. Keep these five in mind:

1. Prioritize employee onboarding.

Instead of merely hoping new people hit the ground running, set your hires up for success.

Aim to develop an interactive, meaningful onboarding program that deals with job orientation and in-depth company culture indoctrination. Make sure each new employee understands how he or she will contribute toward substantive company goals and objectives.

If possible, appoint an affable, helpful person that each newcomer can go to for any questions or concerns. Follow up with new hires frequently to see how they are settling in.

Your onboarding experience sets the tone for an employee’s expectations. Are your onboarding efforts half-hearted, listless and impersonal, or are they useful, personalized and genuine? Workers can tell straight away, and they will judge the company accordingly.