6 Ways to Drive Retention Across the Employee Journey

Employee retention refers to an organization’s ability to hold on to its people and reduce turnover. It’s hard to question how critical retention is to the overall success of an organization. Yet, many organizations still struggle with turnover. The reality is that the ability to retain quality talent is multifaceted and not an easy task.

When organizations see turnover early in the employee journey, often the challenge stems from a new hire’s perception of the role and company culture not matching the experience they end up having once they begin.

To help ensure expectations match reality, HR technology like applicant tracking systems, and onboarding platforms can help impactfully convey company culture and job responsibilities to candidates and new hires.

Boosting Retention With the Help of HR Tech

Now, let’s assume you’ve set the proper expectations, job fit and company culture are aligned and onboarding is moving along nicely. The focus on retention can’t stop there. Here are six ways HR tech can play a significant role in improving retention rates across the rest of the employee journey:

1. Regular check-ins. Leaders should be checking in with their direct reports regularly. These check-ins are crucial for building relationships, providing feedback and ensuring employees feel supported. Performance management software can make it easier to integrate check-ins into manager workflows by tracking their frequency and providing templates for meaningful conversations.
2. Team synergy. Team members supporting one another, sharing in values, and feeling like their team “has their back” in the work they collectively do can go a long way when it comes to driving retention. Collaboration tools like instant messaging, videoconferencing and project management software can help teams stay connected, share information and recognize each other’s contributions. By leveraging tech to facilitate team interactions, organizations can build stronger bonds and camaraderie among employees.
3. Make wellness a priority. Beyond the benefits you provide to your workforce, employees want to know they can bring their whole selves to work. Employees who feel supported and know their company cares about their well-being are more likely to be engaged and stay. By making mental health resources, fitness challenges and wellness tracking tools easily accessible through an HR platform, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to employee well-being.
4. Growth and development opportunities. While promotions and raises certainly impact retention, there are other ways to encourage growth that shouldn’t be overlooked. Growing in role and developing to better hone skills in their current job function will help employees feel strong and more challenged and will increase their breadth of knowledge and expertise. Learning management systems and career development platforms can help employees access training, upskilling opportunities and career pathing tools. By providing these resources, organizations can empower employees to take charge of their growth and development, leading to increased engagement and retention.
5. Sense of belonging. It’s not enough for employees to feel included; they want to feel like they truly belong. By creating a sense of belonging, you can empower your employees to bring their best selves to work every day and work hard to make others feel like they belong as well. Technology can help create a sense of belonging by facilitating employee resource groups, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and recognition programs. By leveraging HR platforms to showcase employee stories, celebrate diversity and recognize achievements, organizations can foster a culture of belonging and inclusion.
6. Workplace culture. Building and curating a caring workplace culture is a big job that’s well worth the effort. It shines through in how your employees interact with clients and customers. HR tech can play a crucial role in shaping and communicating company culture. From employee engagement surveys to pulse check-ins, HR platforms can provide valuable insights into the employee experience. By analyzing this data and using it to inform culture-building initiatives, organizations can create a positive workplace culture that drives retention.

Conclusion

As part of the leadership team, it’s important to consider these factors and evaluate workforce data to understand how you’re performing in each of these areas. If you have sensing mechanisms like employee surveys on engagement or exit interview data, they can be helpful tools to assess your strengths and areas of opportunity.

HR tech can be a powerful tool in addressing employee retention challenges. By leveraging software across the employee journey, you can align expectations, enhance the employee experience and create a culture that promotes engagement and loyalty.

As HR professionals, it’s essential to stay informed about the latest HR tech trends and how they can be applied to improve retention and overall organizational success.