Dear Workforce: How Do We Prove That Lowering Turnover Benefits the Company?

Dear Workforce:

— Vexed by Volatility, hospitality, Leawood, Kansas

Dear Vexed:

Your management team recognizes the financial impact of high turnover, but line employees experience it firsthand on a daily basis in the form of inexperienced co-workers, accidents and lower-than-expected quality and productivity. Persuade management to demonstrate a commitment to lowering turnover by:

• Establishing a selection policy and practice that makes it extremely difficult to be hired by your organization.

• Setting turnover goals for the company and each manager, and include it as an essential portion of the managers’ performance assessments.

• Communicating turnover rates annually.

• Providing orientation to new employees, including clearly defined performance expectations, and training/development of skills for continued employment.

To demonstrate that low turnover benefits both management and staff employees:

• Solicit input from all employees to isolate the reasons why turnover rates are high. Conduct surveys and form focus groups that include a cross section of your workforce.

• If you compensate employees who refer applicants who are subsequently hired, delay the reward until the new employee completes at least one full year of service.

• Create ways to celebrate decreased turnover by department, being sure to reward both managers and employees.

• Celebrate continued service of employees with their co-workers, possibly including their families.

SOURCE: Lonnie Harvey Jr., SPHR, president, the JESCLON Group Inc., Rock Hill, South Carolina, Feb. 14, 2005

LEARN MORE: They’re Hired: Now the Real Recruiting Begins. Also: 155 other items about retention.

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. Also remember that state laws may differ from the federal law.