Employee Retention
Strategies That Work
for Small to Mid-sized Businesses (SMBs)
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Finding good people is getting harder and especially for SMBs.
According to LinkedIn’s 2016 Global Recruiting Trends Report,
INTRODUC TION 41% of respondents say they will remain at their company for less than
2 years while 37% say they will stay for 3+ years and 22% don’t know
how much longer they’ll stay at the company.
You’ve invested a lot of time and money recruiting and hiring the right
talent for your small to mid-sized businesses (SMB). The last thing you
want to do is let all that hard work go down the drain when an employee
Employee retention is ranked as the second most important business
leaves for another opportunity.
priority, right after recruiting highly skilled talent.
In LinkedIn’s Why & How People Change Jobs study, we learned that the
Turnover costs: top three reasons people leave a position are to 1) advance their careers, 2)
Some studies (such as SHMR) predict that every time a business tackle meaningful work, and 3) cash a bigger paycheck. We also learned that
replaces a salaried employee, it costs 6 to 9 months’ salary on once employees consider leaving, 42% said they might have stayed if their
average. For a manager making $40,000 a year, that’s $20,000 to employer had done something.
$30,000 in recruiting and training expenses.
Instead of letting talent walk out the door, do “something” by implementing
a retention program that becomes part of your company culture. This guide
will help inspire an effective retention program at your SMB.
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Clickable table of contents: Get inspired by creative retention ideas:
1. A strategic onboarding process 1. Friday starts
2. A clear career path 2. New hire trivia
3. Perks employees really want 3. Stay interviews
4. Scheduled raises 4. Unlimited PTO
5. A relationship-building culture 5. Mentor partners
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Replacing talent
1/3 of new hires can cost up to
quit their job the employee’s
after 6 months annual salary
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1 Companies with formal onboarding programs retain 91% of first-year
employees, while those that don’t retain just 50%. Your onboarding
process should include a detailed plan for an employee’s first day,
week and month.
• Acclimate them to your company and environment
• Provide them with the tools they need to do their job (there’s nothing
worse than an employee who doesn’t have a place to sit on the first day)
DESIGN A STRONG • Establish expectations and educate them on procedures
ONBOARDING PROCESS
Tip:
You only have one chance to make a good first impression. The
Never let a new employee eat lunch alone on the first day. This
interview process gave your new hire a taste of the company, and the
is an ideal opportunity to learn about them as a person and
first few days will let them know whether or not they made the right
build a relationship.
decision by taking the position.
Resource:
Onboarding in a Box
Everything you need for a powerful onboarding experience.
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2 Find out what they think: Ask questions, such as, “Are
you happy with your current responsibilities?” “Are
there tasks or areas outside your current job description
you’re interested in exploring?” “Are you encouraged
by the career path at our company?”
Tip: As part of your onboarding process, provide
P R O V I D E E M P L OY E E S W I T H employees with 30-, 60- and 90-day plans, as well as
insights on their growth potential, including information
A ROA DM A P FOR SUCC E SS about how and when they might receive new
responsibilities and promotions. Set clear expectations
The number-one motive people have for changing jobs is career and provide regular touch points.
opportunity. That means it’s critical for SMBs to outline and
communicate short-term milestones and long-term goals.
Stat:
23% of people who leave a job within the first 6
months said “receiving clear guidelines” would
have prompted them to stay.
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3 According to Glassdoor’s Employment Confidence
Survey, 79% of employees would prefer new or
additional benefits to a pay increase. Here’s what they
want:
1. Healthcare insurance
2. More paid time off
3. Performance bonuses
4. Retirement plans
OFFER THE PERKS 5. Flexible schedules, including the ability to work
from home
T H E Y R E A L LY W A N T
Ping pong tables and personal chefs are cool benefits that Tip:
employees will brag about to their friends, but they might not be During company budgeting season, budget
enough to keep them in their job long term. more dollars for perks and other incentives for
the new year. If budgets are tight (especially in a
SMB), try giving more time off.
Stat:
Remote workers are 50% less likely to quit
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4 Tip:
Whether it’s at the first of the year or on an
employee’s anniversary, schedule an annual
salary review. Be sure your compensation
package fits the market value for the job.
H AV E A S C H E D U L E F O R
GIVING R AISES Resource:
Take Chron’s 4 steps to calculating a salary
While money isn’t the main reason people change jobs, 74% who
increase.
do receive larger compensation packages. Regular raises aren’t just
appreciated; they’re expected. Half of employees expect to receive a
pay raise or cost-of-living increase in the next 12 months.
Stat:
35% of employees will look for a new job if they
don’t receive a raise within 12 months
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5 Tip:
Set the stage for strong relationships by making it part of your
culture:
• Plan out-of-office activities, such as happy hour at a nearby
restaurant or an employee softball team
C R E AT E A N E N V I R O N M E N T • Design your workplace to include gathering areas, such as
sofas or a large break room table
T H AT F O S T E R S G O O D • Have an open door policy that makes leadership accessible
R E L AT I O N S H I P S
Resource:
Relationships at work matter. Sixty percent of people say coworkers Learn how LinkedIn invests in their employees on InDay.
improve their work environment the most, even more than their
interest in work. In fact, having a good friend in the office has the
potential to increase your happiness as much as the psychological
equivalent of earning $100,000 more per year, according to research Stat:
from UCLA. 54% of people who are unhappy at work plan to leave in the
next 12 months, while just 23% of those who are happy at their
current jobs plan to leave.
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BE INSPIRED BY THESE
C R E AT I V E R E T E N T I O N I D E A S
1. Friday starts 2. New hire trivia 3. Stay interviews 4. Unlimited PTO 5. Mentor partners
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S TA R T O N F R I D AY S
New employees at the Austin, Texas-based tech company Spredfast start
their jobs on Friday.
Why? Mondays can be chaotic as people get caught up from the
weekend. People are in better moods on Fridays, and new hires have
a better impression and experience. Plus, they’ll leave feeling more
motivated than when they signed the offer.
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P L AY N E W
E M PLOY E E T R I V I A
When a new leader is hired at Boston-based construction management
firm Shawmut Design and Construction, the company conducts a “New
Leader Assimilation” meeting that includes 21 fun and compelling
questions.
Why? It’s a great way to get to know each other, focusing on a culture
of connection. Your company can expand the idea beyond leadership,
sharing fun facts about new employees that get everyone talking.
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C O N D U C T S TAY
INTERVIEWS
While a lot of companies conduct exit surveys, Webroot Software has
another idea. The Broomfield, Colorado-based cybersecurity provider
uses one-on-one stay interviews instead.
Why? While information collected after an employee has decided to leave
is valuable, it’s also too late. Stay interviews provide actionable information
that leaders can use to retain employees.
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GIVE UNLIMITED PTO
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based college textbook company Chegg lets
employees choose when and how many days they want to take off during
the year.
Why? While this may sound like an invitation for slacking, the policy gives
employees autonomy and flexibility, and that goes a long way in boosting
job satisfaction. Employees are responsible for getting their work done,
and the average team member takes three weeks a year.
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A SSIGN A MENTOR
When new hires join TINYpulse, a Seattle-based employee engagement
tool provider, they are assigned a coworker mentor who acts like a go-to
friend and work buddy, answering questions and providing guidance.
Why? Veteran employees know the ins and outs of the company, and
can lessen the learning curve. And the benefits go both ways: Acting as a
mentor brings greater job satisfaction and commitment to the employer,
according to studies.
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F I N D , AT T R A C T, H I R E , A N D R E TA I N YO U R
T E A M W I T H L I N K E D I N TA L E N T S O L U T I O N S
Find and engage the best talent using the world’s largest professional network. LinkedIn Talent Solutions provides
innovative recruiting and employer branding tools to help you become more successful at talent acquisition.
Check out some ways you could start using LinkedIn Talent Solutions to hire and engage your team or speak with a
specialist to find out how other SMBs use LinkedIn Talent Solutions.
Contact us Learn more
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Sources
• https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/Pages/Onboarding-Key-Retaining-Engaging-Talent.aspx
• http://blog.bonus.ly/10-surprising-employee-retention-statistics-you-need-to-know
• http://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices/small-business/conducting-an-interview/stay-interviews.aspx
• https://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/products/documents/onboarding%20epg-%20final.pdf
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