How to Hire Employees Who Stick Around

As organizations prepare for 2022, a key challenge for many will be attracting and retaining top talent in an increased attrition landscape. In fact, 61 percent of companies are having problems keeping workers and expect the problem to linger into the next year.

Of course, employee retention focuses on keeping employees happy and motivated while they’re at your company. However, a successful retention strategy starts before new hires even sign their offer letters. 

The first step to retaining your employees is hiring the right people. 

So how do you hire employees who will stick around?

Define Your Culture & Values

When it comes to attracting top talent, company culture is key. In fact, one third of candidates would pass up the perfect job if the organization’s culture wasn’t a good match. Another study found that 32 percent of employees who had left a job within the first 90 days listed company culture as the reason. 

Hiring the right employees means looking for candidates who will be a “culture add” to your organization, not a “culture fit”. These kinds of employees not only embrace your values, but more importantly add to your company’s diversity by offering different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. 

In order to find these employees, you need to define your culture and values during the hiring process. What exactly are your core values and mission statement, and how does your workforce embody them? What Employee Resource Groups do you have? How often do your employees volunteer, and for what causes? 

This is where employee referrals can be extremely helpful. It’s likely that candidates your employees refer share similar values and are looking for the same kind of culture—which increases the chances of them staying at your company. According to recent data, 45 percent of employees sourced from referrals stay at their companies for longer than 4 years.

Be Transparent About Expectations

Setting expectations up front can help you avoid turnover in the long-run. Having unclear expectations is a lose-lose: You may hire candidates who aren’t the right fit, and new hires may feel misled and potentially burn out if the workload is different or more than they expected. In both cases, the chances of employee turnover are quite high. In fact, a study found that 48 percent of employees quit their jobs because the role didn’t match their expectations. 

Whether it’s about responsibilities, salary, benefits, working hours, or WFH policies, it’s crucial to be transparent with candidates about expectations during the hiring process. This starts with job descriptions. Clearly stating what a role entails in its job description will immediately help convey expectations. What will the person’s day-to-day look like? Is it a 9 to 5 job or is your company flexible with schedules? Is the role in-person, or can the employee work remotely? 

Once candidates advance to the interview stage, it’s imperative to reiterate these expectations. Walk them through the role and ask them if they have any questions. Doing so will make sure you’re on the same page with no surprises if you end up hiring them—which not only increases the chances of them staying at your company, but also helps set them up for success.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, check out our latest eBook to discover more strategies for engaging and retaining your workforce throughout the different stages of the employee lifecycle.