Why Are Our New Hires Quitting So Quickly? Seeking Advice on Recruitment and Retention

Dear Sir,

We are facing a crisis - our new hires are leaving the organization in less than a week :( Do you think the problem lies in recruitment? We go through rigorous selection and provide a good induction, yet this issue has persisted for the past 3 months.

I have also noticed that many are not enthusiastic about working in reality. They have a fantasy idea that work means sitting in an A/C cabin and ordering others to get the work done!

Kindly provide your suggestions and views.

Thanks!

Dear Swetha,

You have not provided details of the education level or the positions held by the exiting employees; however, prima facie, it appears that there is a cultural misalignment. In the recruitment process, check the challenges the job seekers are facing. Additionally, assess the behavior of their managers. Are they the cause of the employees exiting?

To uncover the truth, send the exit interview questionnaire to all the departed employees. This will provide some insights.

Ok...

Dinesh V Divekar

Yes, you have a problem. I think you are hiring the wrong folks. Probably, you may need to realign your recruitment process.

Also, like how Mr. Dinesh has suggested, collecting exit interview feedback can also help you arrive at certain valid inferences. However, this may take time to implement a process change.

You may discuss this issue with the core business team and chart out a quick action plan.

Hello Swetha Shenoy,

Dinesh has said it right. Unless you have some valid benchmarks to go by, any inferences, conclusions, or suggestions are bound to be more wrong than correct. To begin with, please don't rule out any possibility, including the attitude of the boss they report to.

Regarding Exit Interview Questionnaires, I am not so sure if they will take the trouble of filling it up, and even if they do, whether they will do so honestly. If you find yourself in such a situation, I suggest changing your approach as soon as possible and conducting a verbal exit interview – it's the inputs that matter in the end, not whether they fill out the form or not.

You also mentioned their idealistic expectations from the job – in this case, what ConsultMe mentioned is correct. Try to change your recruitment practices/methods so that you can hire the right candidates who fit the role well.

Regards,
TS

Dear Swethashenoy,

Senior members have provided you with various options for consideration. Would you mind giving us detailed information about the insight of your organization?

1) Have you ever tried to study the attitude, behavior, and work culture of superiors/managers to whom new joiners were reporting?
2) Have you ever tried to align your new employees' expectations with your organization?
3) Have you discussed with your new employees about their issues?

We would all be glad if you could conduct an initial study and provide us with relevant information. We shall guide you on how to overcome your organization's issues.

Remember, every problem has a solution, so try your best to solve it "WITHOUT IGNORING THE FACTS."

With profound regards,

Dear all,

Thank you for your valuable inputs. I am sorry that I have not been able to reply to you. We have chalked out a plan and here it is:

1. We have appointed a Temporary Reporting Officer (TRO) who takes care of the new hires.
2. We have created a form to evaluate new hires. We observe them in a specific department for a set period (say 15 days).
3. If the new hire is content with the department, we provide them with the appointment letter and proceed with the joining formalities.
4. If the new hire is not satisfied, we either transfer them to another department or allow them to leave.
5. The TRO will assess various aspects of the new hire, including their learning capabilities, communication skills, and punctuality.

We have started implementing this strategy, and we hope it proves successful!

Thank you,
Swetha Shenoy

This may be due to the nature of the position, educational qualifications, and also the industry. I could guess all might be freshers. You need to do a root cause analysis if you want this to not be repeated again.

Hello Swetha Shenoy,

Your Plan-of-Action is indeed quite good. I suggest you focus on the form you devised to be filled in by the new recruit, ensuring it includes the reasons 'why' a particular new hire is not satisfied. If he/she has a mistaken notion of the reasons, then HR can intervene promptly to correct the situation.

There may also be situations where problems exist in the department he/she joins. In this case, you could also use this form to streamline and correct the existing organizational structure and/or attitudinal aspects if it contains information related to such aspects. From the HR perspective, this could simplify the efforts on your end, as you will be acting based on the feedback of the new hires rather than your own impressions.

All the Best.

Regards,
TS