Hiring Talent is Good, Cultivating It Is Better

Set new talent up to succeed, not flounder.

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A company has successfully attracted some top talent to join its ranks, and the future looks promising with this high potential on board. But the company that wants to keep these key employees won’t stop their engagement efforts once they’ve made it through the door, wrote Florida-based leadership expert Quint Studer in the Pensacola News Journal.

According to a 2016 Equifax report on employee turnover, more than 50 percent of workers leave their jobs within the first year and more than a quarter leave in the first six months. That wouldn’t be a surprise to Studer if companies focus their onboarding efforts on paperwork and getting employees plugged into their work and not on cultivating the skills necessary to do their jobs.

In his August article, Studer, founder of Community Institute, offered advice to help new employees get off to a strong start and reduce their likelihood of leaving the company shortly after their arrival.

Among his tips, Studer recommended thoroughly orienting new employees with their organization and team, assigning them a buddy and regular check-ins.

Read more: Want to Reduce Turnover? Engage New Hires

As exciting as it is to hire new talent, it’s both disappointing and costly to see an early departure, Studer wrote. Learning leaders are missing an important opportunity to strengthen employee engagement and retention when they leave the early days and months of new employment at the company to chance.

Bravetta Hassell is a Chief Learning Officer associate editor. Comment below, or email editor@clomedia.com.