• Have Them Write the Job Description – No one knows the job as well as they do. They should be the one writing about what the job entails, including breaking out the work that they complete, how often they spend performing each task, and anything the incoming staff member may need to know.
• Have Them Consult on the Job Advertisement – You may know what you want in the next staff member, but the exiting staff member is going to have an excellent idea of what their replacement is going to need. Make sure they are consulting on the job advertisement to replace them.
• Survey Their Reasons for Leaving – Employees that are leaving the company can provide you with highly valuable information that can help you avoid retention issues in the future. You can ask them about management, about engagement, and about any of the issues that may have affected their satisfaction levels during their time at your organisation. This information can be very valuable in avoiding similar problems in the future.
• Let Them Create Training Manuals/Advice – If possible, have the employee complete training manuals to help future employees with the role. If it’s not possible to have them complete them manual, then have a staff member that is in charge of training new employees talk to them and see what trainings may need to be completed in order to ensure the next employee is up to speed.
• Have Them Prepare a Schedule and Contacts – The incoming person is going to have a lot of work right away, especially if the previous employee was a great contributor. To help both management and the new employee know what to do next, the exiting employee should create a calendar of events for months in the future, provide contact information for anyone involved, and make sure that the person is ready to step in on day one.
• Make Sure They Reorganise – Everyone has their own organisational system, but before the employee’s last day, everything should be standardised in some way. This is especially important for those that work with computers. Items should be very easy to find and manage, in order to reduce training time for the new employee.
• Let Them Train the Manager – Often during an employee’s tenure, the manager tells them what to do. But before an employee leaves, it may be a good idea to put the manager through a training. By allowing the exiting employee to train the manager, the manager gets a better idea of what their workday was like, knows the job inside and out, and can better prepare the incoming employee.

In addition to the tasks you have them complete, you should also give them a great send-off. Treating employees well affects the entirety of your company’s morale, and is a good practice no matter your industry.
Learn From Every Employee
The key to great recruitment and better employee retention is to always be learning, and often there is a great deal you can learn from an employee that is in the act of leaving your company. Take advantage of every opportunity to get information, and make sure you take advantage of their knowledge of the role.

• The longer an employee stays with your company, the more they develop complex understanding of the niche, market, products, and services.
• Having experienced employees who can easily complete complex tasks means better customer service and product quality.
• There is significant savings when you retain your employees, as you don’t have to do as much recruiting, hiring, and training.

These benefits are why it’s so important to make an effort to retain each and every employee you hire. The cost of employee retention is generally far less than the cost of employee replacement, and the additional benefits – such as reducing the need for training and knowing the employee is a part of company culture – all improve your long term outlook.
If you’re looking to improve employee longevity, consider the following tips:

Train and Monitor Management
Research has shown that most employees are quitting because of management, not because of the company itself. The connection between managers and employees is critical. While other factors such as income, benefits, and recognition are important, a high level of employee disengagement usually is brought about due to failures in management.
Take the time to hire and train the best managers that you can recruit. Offer them frequent learning opportunities and support so that they can be successful in helping them employees to reach their goals, and monitor them often to make sure those working under them are thriving and satisfied. Solid and helpful managers help to retain employees who will work harder for your company.

Provide Metrics for Success
Employees have a desire to succeed in the workplace. They also want to know that their skills and abilities are being used in a way that makes an actual difference to the company. When employees know that they are doing helpful and important work, they tend to develop a sense of belonging and ownership for the business.
During performance evaluations, make sure that your managers are sitting down with employees to create S.M.A.R.T goals, which stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

Work with your management team to help your employees to meet and exceed these goals while delivering quality work. Remember that it is not enough to give vague feedback, or to tell people they need to improve. Your employees need to see and know that their hard work is being rewarded, not punished, and that you are aware of the successes that they’ve achieved.

Recognise Your Employees for Specific Accomplishments
Most employees do want to help the business succeed. But they also want to be recognised for that help, and know that the business appreciates them back. Make sure you’ve developed some type of plan to reward employees and recognise their achievements. One idea is to create a reward system, either formal or informal, for when an employee achieves something specific. It could be an extra hour of lunch, a gift certificate, or simple recognition during a staff meeting. As long as you create a culture where individual contributions matter and are celebrated, you’ll retain more employees.

Offer Your Employees Growth Options
Training is an important part of employee satisfaction. But training alone isn’t enough to make sure that an employee stays. Companies with a high retention rate also provide opportunities for their employees to expand and grow, both in the company and in their professional life. Offering mentorship programs, supervision for professional certificates, a specific growth plan to help them receive raises and promotions, educational opportunities, or cross-training are a great way to keep your employees engaged. Solid and loyal employees want opportunities to learn more and advance, not just to maintain the status quo.

Encourage a Healthy Work/Life Balance
As the person in charge, it’s your responsibility to make sure that all of your employees are happy in their work life. But how an employee enjoys their personal life is important as well. Make sure there are opportunities available to your staff members that allow them to maintain a good work/life balance, whether it’s added vacation time, telecommuting options, personal days, etc.

Maintain Your Employees and Grow Your Business
It is important to approach employee longevity with a well-organised and focused strategy. Not only will retaining your employees help your overall profits and company stability, it will help to create the type of work environment that attracts solid workers. Sincere changes in your organisational approach will pay off quickly and increase your employee’s morale while decreasing your turnover rates.

Competitive Employee Benefits Package
Offering a competitive compensation and benefits package is crucial to retaining your best employees. Regularly review local industry standards, and make sure your offering is staying up to date and competitive. Always keep non monetary perks in mind, like flexible work arrangements, and always provide transparency when it comes to the value of the package. If there are any unique opportunities you can provide like professional growth for your employee within your organisation, make sure they’re included. By aligning your compensation package with employee needs, your business can foster loyalty and reduce turnover. For more information on competitive benefits packages, make sure to read our blog ‘How to build a competitive employee benefits package’.