Is Your Company Suffering from High Attrition Rates?

High attrition rates aren’t just a nuisance for hiring managers – they can have a significant negative effect on the company’s budget. Replacing a worker can cost around 20 percent of their salary, according to a 2012 Center for American Progress study. Employees leave for a variety of reasons that are often unavoidable; however, a consistent trend of turnover is a signal that something isn’t working properly in the hiring process. Learn how to improve your company’s attrition rates by including these steps to help make more informed hiring decisions:

Define Your Company Culture

High attrition is less likely to be the result of an employee’s ability to do the job, than it is that they have personal attitudes that clash with those of the organization. It is mutually beneficial to only hire workers who possess the skills and personality traits that will be a good fit – in fact, some may argue that hiring for personality may be even more important than skill, which can be trained. Before making hiring decisions, narrow down what key traits successful employees possess to determine what personal criteria to include when evaluating candidates.

Evaluate Your Recruiting and Hiring Methods

Do you have a “go to” strategy you use for finding candidates for your open positions? If your company continues to have high attrition, it may be time to switch up your methods to improve the quality of your candidate pool. Consider venturing outside of general job boards and finding something more specialized, such as industry specific forums on LinkedIn, or working with a staffing firm that is well-versed in particular industry niches.

Focus on Employee Retention

Once you get candidates hired and in the door as employees, ensure the personal attention doesn’t immediately drop off. Give new hires a positive start that will increase their commitment to your company through well-prepared onboarding. How you welcome, train, and help acclimate new employees will set the stage for how they view their future at your organization – so make sure you show them you care about them succeeding and growing within your company by giving them the information and other tools they need.

Tackling the problem of high attrition rates starts during the hiring process. Find the top candidates who fit your needs, and are motivated and committed with the help of Professional Alternatives. Since 1998, we have been serving Houston clients throughout a variety of industries to help them with their hiring needs. Contact us today to learn more about our employer services.