Staffing Strategies to Improve Employee Retention in Lancaster, PA

If there’s one thing that the pandemic and the Great Resignation of 2021 showed us, it’s that people aren’t afraid to walk away from a job that no longer serves them. Life is short, and no one wants to be stuck in a job that makes them miserable. As a business owner or hiring manager, this can be extremely stressful. Not only do you not want to lose out on some of your most valuable employees, but you also don’t want to lose money.

Because of this, it’s vital that you implement staffing strategies from the very beginning to ensure that your employees feel appreciated and motivated. The better they feel, the less likely they are to leave, after all. This all starts with how you treat the hiring and onboarding processes. You only get one chance to make a good impression, so it’s important that it’s a good one. That’s where a staffing agency comes in. They help you find long-lasting employees that are sure to stay for years to come. If you’re sold on the idea of hiring a staffing agency, keep reading to see why it’s so important.

Why Should Employers Prioritize Employee Retention?

Losing an employee is never an easy feat–especially if you have formed a close relationship with them. But losing them goes far beyond losing out on a friendship. According to countless studies, losing an employee can cost you tens of thousands of dollars. Think about 1.5 to 2x the salary of said employee.

When you’re left with a vacancy within your company, you have to spend money on hiring someone new (in the form of advertising, screening, etc.), onboarding, and training them. This isn’t just a loss financially, either. If you spend months trying to find the perfect candidate, you are wasting precious time that you could be spending on more important tasks.

And this doesn’t even begin to cover the issues that you will almost your existing employees. When a position opens up, you are forced to give their work to current workers, whose plates may already be too full. This can lead them to feel overworked and–if not taken care of fast enough–lead to burnout. Current employees are more sensitive to their environment than you may think. If they see people constantly coming and going, their productivity levels are going to slip. It already takes a new hire one to two years to hit the productivity levels of the previous employee. The more it slips, the more the entire office is affected.

Boost Employee Retention with the Help of a Staffing Agency in Lancaster, PA

We’re guessing that as a business owner or hiring manager, you don’t want any of those previous repercussions to come true for your own company. That’s why the help of staffing agency experts can be so beneficial to you.

Staffing Agencies Provide a Smooth Onboarding Experience for New Hires

Hiring and keeping top-quality candidates truly starts during the hiring and onboarding process. You want a candidate to feel welcomed from the very beginning, and staffing agencies make that possible. During the interview process, they will get a deeper understanding of what the employee is looking for in a company and will fill them in on what your business has to offer. This ensures that they are a good fit for your organization.

When you know that a candidate will fit in nicely with your business and existing employees, it’s easier for them (and you) to feel confident that they will remain with the company for a while. Not to mention, staffing agencies specialize in making the onboarding process as quick and easy as possible, so you can have someone fill the position as soon as possible, all without making the new hire feel rushed. They’ll be there every step of the way to answer any questions they may have and make them feel more at home before they even begin the role.

Staffing Experts Recommend Pairing the New Hire with a Buddy

No matter what position you are currently in for your business, you are most likely familiar with the concept that having someone that you get along with from the beginning can make a new position feel a lot less intimidating. Although a staffing agency will be there to assist as needed, once they get comfortable, they will be less hands-on than they were during the hiring process. That’s why they recommend pairing the new hire with a buddy that will help them acclimate to the office culture and position itself.

Provide Continuous Feedback on Performance

People thrive off of communication and feedback. While some struggle to handle constructive criticism, learning what they can improve on is extremely advantageous. When they feel like they are contributing, they will then feel more rewarded. But if there is no line of open communication, you leave them in a position to question whether or not they are performing well. And everyone works better when they feel that someone is taking them and their thoughts seriously.

In order to create a safe space where you can openly discuss what’s working and what isn’t, schedule frequent meetings with them. This completely depends on your schedule and how you run your business. For some, this could mean weekly meetings, and for others, it could be quarterly calls. Whatever works best for you should be the focus. Just don’t forget to make it a priority.

Staffing Experts Recommend Providing Incentives, Rewards, and Competitive Pay

More often than not, someone is working because they need the money in order to live. It’s their sole motivator. The reason they get up and go to work every single day. Failure to give them a livable wage that isn’t sustainable for their lifestyle can cause them to feel defeated very quickly. As a business, you walk a fine line between paying your employees what they deserve and making enough to profit. It’s not an easy decision to make, but if an employee feels underpaid, chances are they’re going to find another job sooner rather than later.

You can also offer more than just the pay. While this is probably one of the most important aspects of hiring a new employee, providing incentives and rewards is also crucial. Share their wins with the entire team, offer bonuses and stipends, and give them gifts (both randomly and for holidays and birthdays). This creates a sense of family that is hard to come by at work.

Offer a Healthy Work-Life Balance

While people work because they need to make a living, they don’t want to spend 80-hour weeks in the office. Give them paid time off, a flexible work schedule, paid family leave, mental health days, etc. Show them that their time outside of the office is just as important to you as the hours spent inside the office. Employers who value their employees’ time build loyalty, which in turn greatly helps retention.

Partner with a Staffing Agency in Lancaster: TriStarr to Find Quality Talent and Improve Employee Retention

These are just a few staffing strategies that you can implement to create a team of strong, top-quality candidates that are going to stand by your side for the foreseeable future. If there’s a vacancy that you’re looking to fill, let TriStarr Staffing help you. We help you find top-quality candidates, perfect for any role. Ready to get started? Contact us today!