Building a Welcoming Environment for Employee Retention

Throughout my management career, I have interviewed hundreds of people. There is a common thread among these candidates: they were looking for a home. They were looking for a place where they were welcome, where they would be respected, where their voices would be heard, where their values would be shared, and where they could advance in their careers.

The reason these people were still looking for a home is because they had not found one yet. Their comments are all too familiar: “it wasn’t a good fit,” “it didn’t work out,” “it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” “I was misled.”

Job Hoppers

When people are trying to find a home, they move around. I have often interviewed people who have changed employers every 18-24 months or so. It is easy to write these people off as unreliable job hoppers. But perhaps they just haven’t found their home yet. 

It’s important to realize that there are many reasons why employment situations are short-term. We should not assume anything about an employment situation without obtaining more information. We should be inquisitive and ask good questions. 

There are many reasons why a person might have a series of short-term jobs on their résumé. People sometimes have short-term employment due to circumstances in their lives that are outside of their control. And we should recognize that not all employers provide great employment experiences. Let’s not make assumptions, aside from assuming the applicant has not yet found their home.

Welcome Home

If you invite a friend to stay in your home for the weekend, what would you do to make them feel at home? Most of us would go out of our way to ensure that our home was clean, presentable, and welcoming. We would be waiting for the person to arrive. We would greet them warmly and escort them into our home. We would offer them a beverage. We would show them to their room and help them get settled. We would walk them through the home. We would ask them about their trip. We may talk about the rest of the day, plans for dinner, and what the morning will look like. 

My point is that we all know how to make someone feel at home in our homes. But for some reason, many employers struggle to show the same level of hospitality for a newly-hired employee. I know first-hand how it feels when nobody is there to greet you. Nobody prepared for you to arrive. The office and shop are a mess. You realize that the people handling you would rather not be doing so. You are left alone and forgotten about. You are ignored. Nobody is smiling. You don’t know where the restroom is. And this is day one.  

What if you were greeted by someone with a warm smile who had been waiting for you to arrive? Someone was there to help you find your way and get settled? Someone offered you a beverage? Someone introduced you to the team? Someone sat with you while you filled out your paperwork to answer questions? Someone took the time to explain how things work and what to expect? Someone worked alongside you in the beginning to make sure you were proficient? Someone gave you feedback and encouragement? Someone had your back and made sure you were successful?  

What if the new person felt at home? What if the new person never looked for a new job again? 

Why is this so complicated?

Justification

You might ask how to justify the cost of this approach. And you might say that you are short-handed and everyone already has too much to do. Or you might ask where to find this person who will be available for new hires.

Working backward, my response is that this person probably does not exist currently in your organization. You will need to hire this person. Or create a position that doesn’t exist and move a qualified person into the new position. This is not something to be added onto an existing job for a person who is already at their capacity. 

With respect to the cost, my response is this: What is the cost of endless turnover? What does it cost to fill vacancies temporarily until the vacancy is filled? What is the cost of lost productivity? What does an exit interview cost? What is the administrative cost of turnover? What is the cost of lost training when a person quits? What is the impact on customers? What does it cost for severance and benefits? What is the cost of lost knowledge, skills, and contacts? What does turnover do to your unemployment insurance rates? What is the cost of recruiting, interviewing, on-boarding, training, drug screening, background checks, uniforms, security clearances, badges, keys, etc.? What is the cost of the mistakes your new person will make?

It seems to me that there’s less cost and better outcomes of investing on the front end than on the back end. I would rather provide a home by doing all of the things. After all, we’re all looking for a home.