With record-low unemployment and companies from virtually all industries looking to hire new staff, employers need to know how to not only attract and recruit top talent but also retain it.
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Part of the attraction and retention game requires knowing what employees want—big salaries, lucrative bonuses, flexible hours, cushy benefits, etc. But part of that game also requires knowing what employees don’t like. What is it that scares them away?
Employees Form Fast Opinions
Apparently, it doesn’t take much to turn an employee off. Two statistics from a recent Addison Group survey should make HR professionals and employers very nervous.
First, the good news: The survey finds that 72% of employees report being satisfied or very satisfied with their current position, which means employers must be doing something right, at least most of the time.
Now the bad news: Eight out of 10 survey respondents reported that they are likely or very likely to job search after just 1 bad day on the job, and 69% of respondents said they were optimistic or very optimistic about their ability to find a new job.
In other words, a single bad day on the job can make employees think of walking, and they are pretty confident they can find somewhere else to go—and, increasingly, they can.
Continuous Engagement
Just as when wooing customers, it’s not just the courting and the early days of the relationship that matter—it’s throughout the entire employee experience. If just 1 bad day on the job can prompt an employee to consider jumping ship, employers need to be vigilant in ensuring that employee experiences are fulfilling and rewarding.
Knowing how to attract employees is only part of the battle. Employers need to constantly be on the lookout for what would make them want to leave.
It may be difficult to prevent employees from having a bad day at work, but the number of employees who see that as a reason to leave should make employers aware of the factors that may lead to dissatisfaction.