In 2018, turnover cost businesses USD$600 billion, and by next year that number is expected to skyrocket to USD$680 billion. Partly to blame is a strengthening job market, but the issue is multi-faceted.
How can employers prevent costly turnover from eating into their company’s bottom line?
Why the turnover problem is on the rise
Global unemployment is dropping while jobs are on the rise.
In many countries, there are more jobs open than there are unemployed people to fill them, and people are taking advantage of this strong jobs market to change jobs. Sometimes they are going after higher pay, and sometimes they are trying to get out of a dead-end job.
Regardless of the reason, many companies are struggling to keep employees on the payroll.
Even global companies like McDonald’s, which is designed to handle high turnover rates, are having difficulties finding people to fill open positions. When jobs with higher pay and better benefits are out there to be found, can you blame workers for walking away?
The jobs market is so strong right now that even interviewees who have been offered and who have accepted new positions are ghosting employers in favor of better offers. Sometimes employers may not even know an employee has rejected their job offer until they don’t show up for their first day of work.
The cost of turnover
Why is turnover so expensive anyway? Posting jobs, interviewing, preparing offers, and onboarding new job candidates are all very costly procedures. Replacing an employee costs an average of ⅙ of their yearly pay, which adds up quickly the higher up the food chain you go.
Recruiting, job posting, onboarding, training, monitoring productivity, and customer service issues due to new employees are all sources of cost for employee turnover.
What’s more, losing employees can often increase the burden on other employees. This can have a domino effect of losing multiple employees at the same time, which adds compound interest to the already high cost of replacing employees who have moved on to greener pastures.
Keeping existing employees happy is the key
Job perks are a great way to keep employees happy at work. Many workplaces offer perks like free premium coffee, free drinks and snacks in the break room, and more. Little things can go a long way. But even these great incentives are not enough to keep your best employees around, especially at a time when the jobs market is so strong globally.
Higher pay and better benefits are the keys to attracting and retaining the best talent. After all, you can’t pay your bills with free snacks in the employee break room.
An astounding 72 per cent of employees said they would be happier in their current position if their employer were to offer more and better benefits. In fact, employers with a 6-benefit plan had a drop in turnover of 138%, while the average turnover rate at a business without benefits is 157 per cent.
More than half of employees believe that their employer has a responsibility to look after employees’ financial well-being, which is why retirement plans with matching funds and financial counselling are so important. Health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, and life insurance are a must for any employer to remain competitive, but there are also several other areas where employers can offer great benefits.
Also Read: How to profit from Singapore grants for small businesses
Employee development is something that many working professionals want but that few employers offer. Assistance with college tuition for continuing education can help to achieve this. Some employers use an 80/20 rule stating that 20 per cent of an employee’s time should be used for continuing education, which benefits both company and employee alike.
Finally, workplace culture is another area where employers can make simple changes to attract and retain the best talent. Things like common areas where people can gather to get to know each other better, team-building experiences like hiking trips or escape rooms, and even periodic lunches out can help people feel more of a sense they are part of a team rather than just a cog in a machine.
Fight back against turnover
If your company is starting to experience higher turnover rates than normal, it may be time to examine culture and benefits. Learn more about the high cost of turnover
–
Editor’s note: e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.
Join our e27 Telegram group here, or our e27 contributor Facebook page here.
Image Credit: Markus Spiske
This article was first published on October 17, 2019
The post How to fight a costly turnover in an effective way appeared first on e27.