Give new recruits a warm welcome to ensure they stay

First impressions matter. One fifth of all recruits leave their new jobs within the first six weeks. One third are back job-hunting within six months.

By Laura Hartley, director, Hartley People Retention Consultancy

When the average cost of a bad hire is £30,000 (factoring in recruitment costs, training costs, loss of productivity and a hit to workplace morale) you simply can’t afford for your new recruit to walk away.

It’s crucial that you select the right candidate, and in today’s candidate-driven job market it’s every bit as important to prove that they made the right choice, too.

You can do this with a warm welcome known as ‘onboarding’.

Introduce your new employee to a company ambassador, someone they can go to for help and support to help shake the new-job nerves.

Orchestrate regular touch points throughout the probationary period to ensure they understand the company, the culture and what’s expected of them.

Sharing the company’s vision and how they will contribute to achieving your goals will give them a sense of belonging at a time when they could otherwise feel like an outsider.

So when should onboarding start? Well, not their first week, or even their first day, but before they have even accepted the role. Why? Because this is the most engaged and excited you will have them. A friendly welcome, an opportunity to bond with new colleagues, a buddy to approach for help, and being kept in the loop with company information will substantially improve your chances of your new employee sticking with your organisation long term.