After investing time and energy into the hiring process, you hope new hires find success and longevity in their new roles. Employee retention remains a topic on the forefront of hiring managers’ minds, especially as a recent Gallup poll suggests that 1 in 2 workers is “watching for or actively seeking a new job.” First impressions may be vital for encouraging newly offered employees a reason to stay. Here are some ideas to improve employee retention during the hiring process.
What Makes Employees Look For Other Jobs?
The same Gallup poll categorized reasons people look for other jobs into two categories: “Engagement and Culture” and “Wellbeing and Work-Life Balance.” Engagement and culture can describe obvious factors like pay and benefits and conflicts with direct supervisors or leadership, but also includes advancement or career opportunities.
Wellbeing and work-life balance factors include the job not being a good fit, being faced with unrealistic requirements, relocation stresses, or work-life balance that weighs heavily on the work and not enough on the life.
When asked, poll respondents ranked work-life balance, job security, and increased pay among the high priorities when seeking a new job, but the highest ranked reason may be surprising. People gave “Allows me to do what I do best” a 61 per cent importance factor. This number could indicate that skilled employees feel bogged down by tasks that do not allow them to perform to their capabilities. It may imply companies aren’t tapping into their talent in the right way, or giving enough leeway to inspire creativity and innovation.
Why Create an Employee Retention Strategy?
Addressing each of these factors (plus any more you may identify that are unique to your industry) can go a long way in keeping your job candidates and new hires engaged and excited about the prospects ahead.
Average time to hire can vary by industry, but according to the SHRM the average is 36 days, and may take up to 100 person hours of company time. Each of those days and hours is an opportunity to present the best possible view of the company and address any personal concerns with prospective candidates. Knowing in advance what the new hires value can help you mold a hiring strategy with those values in mind. It’s not always possible to make every concession, but a good faith effort may go a long way in preparing a path for retention. If negotiations reach an impasse, it may reveal that person is unlikely to be a long-term fit.
How to Hire With Retention in Mind
Consider the company brand
Long before the job is posted and the resumes start coming in, it’s worthwhile for the company to evaluate its public-facing image, says HR Pro Sharlyn Lauby. Consider the website, social media, and other avenues where the company promotes its brand: do they offer an ecosystem that promotes employment even if no jobs are open? “Hopefully,” Lauby says, “this will attract interested individuals to your career site where they can opt-in to hear about company information and openings. Recruiters can use this data to build talent pipelines and stay in touch with potential candidates.”
Evaluate technology
This is also a time to evaluate your technology: Is your website easy to navigate? Do pages where prospective employees fill out applications or upload resumes work properly? Does your company have a tool to organize the applications easily and efficiently? Does the applicant receive immediate feedback? A tool like ApplicantStack can manage all of the data and organize it into actionable items for quick turnaround.
Refine job postings
Accurate job postings are another way to ensure the right candidates apply for open positions. Vague and clichéd job descriptions may get you a lot of response, but they may produce more work of sorting to find the truly qualified candidates. Job descriptions that overpromise and underdeliver can be a huge blow to employee retention efforts. New hires who feel duped by idealized or inaccurate job responsibilities are less likely to stick around. It’s a good idea to have multiple eyes on any job description before it goes public. This ensures accuracy and shows a good faith effort to portray the job as it will be.
Negotiate benefits and perks
Much has changed in the job landscape over the years since the pandemic. Workers had to adjust quickly to a different way of working, and many found those promoted a better work-life balance. Options like working remotely meant not relocating and uprooting their families. More sick leave meant people stayed home when they were ill. Flexible work time meant parents were able to adjust schedules for kids’ activities and needs. Floating holidays allow people to take time off on the most meaningful holidays. Perks like gym memberships, ergonomic office equipment, or company service days help people feel valued as humans with myriad needs and interests.
While every company will make policies that fit the work best, it’s useful to be open to how potential employees place value on their time and working arrangements. Where possible, negotiating a beneficial situation to both parties can encourage retention.
An employee retention strategy will be most effective when it includes the hiring process. Recognizing where the company could make improvements in job descriptions, organization, communication, and negotiation can help put your company well below the concerning statistics.
- Exit Interview Questions That Get Honest Answers (And a Checklist) - August 11, 2026
- How to Build a Hiring Process From Scratch - August 5, 2026
- Skills-Based Hiring in Hourly and Frontline Roles: A Practical Guide - July 29, 2026
