It was only his first day. But Franklin already knew this job wasn't a good fit.
Everything they had put in the job description was technically true, but now that he was in the role he realized it wasn't at all what he'd expected. He debated if it was worth coming back for a second day or if he should just be honest and let his boss know it wasn't going to work out.
Franklin isn't alone. According to the Harvard Business Review almost a third of new hires quit within their first 90 days. Most companies lose 18% of their employees each year. How can an organization build high-trust, high-performance teams with that kind of turnover? Is it even possible to be an exceptional company when almost one out of five people leave every 12 months?
And we haven't even mentioned the financial cost. Replacing an employee typically costs the equivalent of their annual salary and benefits. A business with 50 employees whose average salary is $50,000 per year will lose half a million dollars every year if their turnover is merely average.
What can be done?
There are two sides to this equation. One is how we hire people. The other is how we engage them. The starting place for both sides is the same.
If I could only recommend one change that would help ensure you hire and keep great people it would be this: Ensure that the purpose of the role is directly tied to achieving the vision of the organization. If you can't clearly and compellingly explain the vision of your company and paint a vivid picture for the applicant of how their day-to-day work will help achieve that vision, then you probably aren't ready to fill the position.
Employees are no longer willing to be replaceable cogs in the great machinery of capitalism. They want their work to matter. They want to be part of something important. When they find an organization that can give them that sense of purpose and are able to see how their daily work helps achieve it, both the company and the employee win.
Want help hiring an all-star? Click here to register now for our upcoming webinar How to Hire an All-Star on August 17th.