Every HR manager knows the frustration of seeing yet another talent leave, after having welcomed, integrated, trained and supported them in their professional development. The domino effect is immediate: recruitment costs rise, productivity falls, organizational problems linked to vacant positions multiply and commitment plummets. Employers with ever-increasing turnover need to rethink the way they do business to stop the hemorrhaging.
Turnover under the microscope
There are many reasons why employees may lose their commitment and look for new opportunities. On the other hand, a wave of departures or an exponential turnover rate is not harmless. Sometimes, the causes of high turnover are harder to pinpoint. So how can we identify the determining factors?
Profile of deserters
Among which employee groups do you observe the highest turnover? Are they managers, young employees or field workers? Everyone will have their own reasons for leaving a job. The good news is that the causes of turnover point to solutions linked to talent management. This can be divided into two phases: the immediacy of daily working life (QWL, flexible working hours, the right to disconnect, commitment, management style) and anticipation of the employee’s professional future (remuneration, interest in assignments, skills development and internal mobility).
It’s all a question of timing
This maxim, invoked for other events in life, could well apply to turnover. When do employees leave the company? A new recruit who leaves the company after just a few days may betray a less than engaging onboarding phase. According to a survey conducted by the consulting firm Robert Walters43% of respondents received a disappointing or non-existent induction process when they took up their new position.
Leaving before the end of the trial period may reveal a discrepancy between the recruiter’s presentation of the company and the position, and the reality of everyday life. When you consider that the cost of a recruitment error can range from 100% to 150% of the position’s annual salary, it’s worth looking into the matter.
Are soft skills right for the job?
In 9 out of 10 cases, a recruitment failure is linked to incompatibility between soft skills and the job. If your recruitment process fails to identify the behavioral skills, character traits and motivations of your candidates, the new recruit is more likely to shorten his or her stay in your offices. Accompanying the interview with a psychometric test will enable you to detect the right soft skills, as well as any points to watch out for. Not necessarily unfavorable to recruitment, these details should be passed on to the N+1 so that he or she can take them into account.
To avoid casting errors, you need to stack the odds in your favor right from the start of the recruitment process. Opt for co-optation. This sourcing method is based on the recommendation of candidates by your employees. Who better than
to identify the soft skills of the knowledge they offer and judge their ability to adapt to your company?
How is your QWL?
Since work occupies most of our days, it’s important that it takes place in conditions that meet employees’ expectations and are conducive to performance. 81% of French people would like a more flexible way of working. Even after being forced to do so for over a year, telecommuting remains a strong desire among employees, even if they agree on alternating with days spent in the office.
Are you aware of your employees’ needs?
Let’s face it, commitment and QWL are a personal matter. An effect intensified by the health crisis and previously by the dematerialization of processes, employees increasingly associate QWL and performance with their personal well-being. According to an Ifopsurvey, a program dedicated to their physical and mental health would boost the commitment of 65% of working people, rising to 73% among managers.
Transparency is key, There’s no point in painting a flattering picture of the company if, deep down, the good vibes aren’t there: 58% of executives agree that one of the main reasons for their departure is the mismatch between the position they are offered and the reality. We can find ways to securing recruitment through QWL taking the pulse of employee commitment through an internal survey can reveal areas for improvement.
How are your management methods faring?
“You join a company, you leave a manager” – does this maxim apply to your workforce? Are your employees lacking motivation ? 52% of employees feel that their manager is not admired, and 37.8% feel that they are not listened to. On the management side, 53% would have left before the end of the trial period due to inadequate management. We’ve clearly put our finger on something…
Clearly, the manager’s posture and communication need to be reviewed.one French person in three shows a lack of clarity in the objectives set. An edifying fact among managerial staff, 78% complain of a lack of support from their managers on arrival. We urgently need to change the way we think about management: developing soft skillsto develop soft skills, to welcome feedback and to implement collaborative participation and asynchronous working modes, better suited to teleworking.
On the other hand, there is a tendency for employees to shy away from management positions. Forced into a classic progression logic, it’s only natural that the commitment of these management recalcitrants is at half-mast, and that they want to change employer. What can you offer them?
Are you a fair employer?
Are you familiar with the notion of organizational justice ? This concept involves maintaining the psychological contract established between employer and employee at the time of hiring. Organizational justice has several iterations. An employee may feel aggrieved when he or she becomes aware of an inequality in pay (distributive justice) or invisibilized by management (procedural justice) or verbally abused by peers or superiors (interactional justice). Here’s an example of procedural injustice, which takes a long time to manifest itself, making it more difficult to detect: an employee takes over the responsibilities of a manager who has been mobilized elsewhere, without being given the job title. After 6 months, the position is filled by an external recruit, and the person who has been in charge all this time receives no compensation or recognition from the hierarchy. She has two options: demand recognition or leave the company for an opportunity where she will feel more valued.
“A sense of justice is one of the fundamental needs of people at work. In the workplace, we are in a subordinate position, and lose a little of our freedom. In exchange, we expect something in return, whether monetary or symbolic. explains Thierry NasidicProfessor of Organizational Behavior at EM Lyon Business School.
By ignoring this psychological dimension, the employer allows the employee’s frustration to build up over time. The wear and tear of day-to-day work can lead disillusioned employees to disengage, or even try to harm the company.
10 tips for anti-turnover recruitment and QWL
Optimize your recruitment process
- Make a transparent presentation of your company.
- Detail the job’s missions and daily routine to avoid unpleasant surprises.
- Reveal candidates’ potential, soft skills and expectations through psychometric testing.
- Create a welcome pack that reflects the company’s culture (map of the headquarters, inspirational reading material, useful branded goodies and accessories).
- Breaking the ice of onboarding with a welcome breakfast or meal and a personal contact.
Taking care of your QWL
- Launch an internal survey to take stock of employee satisfaction and communicate on areas for improvement.
- Assess physical and psychosocial risks in order to implement prevention strategies.
- Training in trust-based managementa management style that encourages autonomy and hybrid working methods.
- Propose in-house surveys when making decisions that could have an impact on employees’ lives.
- Focus on outboarding by interviewing those who leave to improve your talent management. Seeing an employee’s departure as a betrayal is so 2018! Accompanying a departing employee means taking care of your employer brand and remaining open to a possible return under favorable conditions.
