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If you're having retention problems, recruiting expert John Sullivan suggests that the roots of the problem may well trace back to the recruiting process. In an article on his website, he offers some hiring-related factors to watch, since they can boomerang once the employee is on board:

Money focus

Individuals whose primary motivation is money tend to be at the top of the turnover pyramid, frequently jumping to a new job as soon as a higher monetary offer streams in. "No matter how good your initial starting salary, if your organization is slow to give raises, bonuses, and stock rewards, or to counter outside offers, you will inevitably lose these individuals when more money comes along," he warns. This often applies as well for individuals recruited by executive search professionals, who may have lured them with a "better money" offer. Target individuals who don't have a "give me the money mentality," and make your salary structure clear to job candidates from the start.

The source

You'll fare better with candidates referred by employees, who mentor their friends about the company, than outside candidates from job boards for whom money may be a bigger factor.

Tenure elsewhere

Study the time candidates spent in previous jobs, which can be a good indicator of how long they'll stick with you.

On-boarding

Research shows employees make up their mind whether they will stay at a company in the first month, as they subconsciously judge whether it meets expectations, and one firm found that weak orientation could increase future turnover by 20 per cent. Make sure you bring them on board in a stimulating way and that they are feeling fully productive quickly. By identifying what management approaches have generally been found to be effective with them in the past, you can also reduce trial and error on the part of their new boss.

Recruiter Involvement

Good recruiters generally know what motivates the people they hire, so keep recruiters involved with new hires in the first few months to ensure they don't become frustrated. Consider this "closing the sale," as recruiters supplement the new manager, helping to guide the new hires in adapting to the company and the company in adapting to them.

Diversity Orientation

Many organizations seek diversity candidates but then once they are hired don't give them any special attention to make sure their expectations and unique needs are met.

Manager rewards

Less than one-third of companies reward managers for having low turnover rates among new hires although this would help to focus attention on the issue.

Bad managers

Don't place top candidates with mediocre or dreadful managers. Study the bad-manager identification programs at FedEx and Dell.

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