High Employee Churn? Here's How to Get out in Front of It

November 4, 2014 at 11:43 AM by Rob Stevenson

No one wants to lose high performers, and even in the event that people are under performing, employee churn is wildly expensive and bad for Employee churnemployee morale. Churn is a huge issue for many companies, and while it's inevitable to some degree, there are a handful of strategies you can personally undertake as well as put on the plates of your hiring managers so as to keep your team around. 

Jigsaw-Like Fit

The surest way to make sure employees will stick around is an exhaustive effort to assess whether they're a good fit. Having them meet with many team members, asking them teamwork-oriented interview questions, and getting them outside the office to interact with employees are all great ways to see how they'll fit in. Here are some interview questions you can ask to try and suss out a candidate's likelihood to stay with the organization:

  • Walk me through a deal you didn't close.

This one is great for sales candidates for a multitude of reasons. In terms of assessing flightiness, it's valuable in that it shows how candidates will respond to adversity, even beyond the honeymoon stage. Looking for candidates who grit their teeth and soldier onward when the going gets tough is a great way to bring on loyal employees.

  • What are the characteristics of the best boss you ever had?

It's a commonly repeated recruitment aphorism that people don't leave their job because of the company, but because of their direct superior. Learn under what management circumstances your candidate is most successful, and see if that lines up with the style of their eventual manager.

  • What are your biggest pet peeves in the workplace?

Here, a candidate may list off personality types or procedural measures that your organization espouses or abhors. Either way, it will be illuminating to the question of whether they'll wind up being a flight risk.

Bringing recruits on as high-paid contractors is another comprehensive way to assess fit. A series of interviews is rarely enough to know what someone will be like in the office day in and day out. Having them spend a couple weeks with the organization, or at least working on some evening projects with team members, is a great way to get a sense of what they'll add to your culture.

Never Stop Recruiting

As much as you can, you should be treating your employees the same way you were when recruiting/wooing them. Have regular conversations and check-ins, offer continual training and development, and make sure they have opportunities for growth and to show initiative. Encouraging them to make referrals, and then tracking referrals, is another great way to assess employee engagement.

What are your strategies for attacking employee churn? Leave a comment or tweet @EnteloRob!

employee referral program

 

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