Do you create a positive, emotional connection with your new hires?
You are probably grappling with what is called the “Great Resignation”. Many people are giving notice and changing jobs. The question, is why are they doing that and what are you going to do with your team to make sure that you can retain the new hires that you bring into the company?
There are usually three reasons why people change jobs and it has certainly been accelerated because of the pandemic.
Reason Number One
They do not want to report back to the office. They would prefer a job that allows them to work remotely. Some people like working in the office, but a lot of people like the flexibility of remote work.
Reason Number Two
They really do not like working where they were working, to begin with. This just gave them an opportunity in a fairly robust job market to take on a new opportunity. That is what people are looking for—fulfillment from their job tasks. If they were not getting it before, they might as well make a change.
That is what people are looking for—fulfillment from their job tasks. If they were not getting it before, they might as well make a change. Share on X
Reason Number Three
The third reason, and the one to watch out for, is that they really did not have an engaging relationship with their manager. You have likely heard the expression “People do not quit companies, they quit their boss”. That could be happening, and you might not be aware of how you are creating an environment in which people do not feel particularly engaged or involved in making decisions in the company.
There are a few ways you can build a positive, emotional experience.
I have three suggestions.
Solution Number One
When a new hire joins your department, make sure you integrate them into the team very quickly.
People have a desire to belong. When they are not integrated into the team, they are going to feel disconnected.
People have a desire to belong. When they are not integrated into the team, they are going to feel disconnected. Share on XSolution Number Two
Often when you start a new job, there are lots of things that do not get explained, even in the onboarding and the training. For that reason, you can get into situations where you feel confused or embarrassed. Those negative feelings can make you think, “I do not think I can be successful here” or “I do not seem to be set up for success.”
Solution Number Three
The third suggestion is to encourage, support, and acknowledge progress.
Your people need to know that they are coming along in a new job because they might think they are not cutting it and that the job is tougher than they thought. By you, as the leader, acknowledging the progress that the person is making (especially in their first few days and weeks) can make a big difference to them sticking it out until they achieve even greater traction and confidence on the job.
When you do these very basic things, you can make a significant difference in reducing turnover. Most importantly, if people are resigning and you are hiring new people, you can make sure that the new team that you bring on board is going to stick with you, grow and develop and contribute to your performance long term.
Once you have worked on engaging your new hires, you are going to realize that there are other leadership skills that will make you an even better supervisor or frontline leader. That is where we come in! You can take part in our Frontline Leadership Program or connecting with us on any of our social media platforms.