Reducing New Employee Turnover

Among Emerging Adults

By Arlene S. Hirsch
Jun 2, 2016

A nn graduated from Robert Morris University in Chicago with a bachelor's degree in law office management in 2013, and when

she landed her first job with a midsize law firm, she was excited about her new career.

But when Ann (not her real name) arrived the first day, it was obvious that the partners hadnt given much thought to the role of their

new office manager. They gave her a desk near the receptionist and told her to sit tight while they figured out what to do with her.

On the second day, they told Ann to be patient; they were working out the details. On the third day, an associate attorney asked her to

help him out with some secretarial work. Since she had good secretarial skills (and nothing else to do), she agreed. The next day the

managing partner informed her that, in addition to being the office manager, she would serve as the attorneys secretary.

By the end of the second week, it was clear that the job was more secretarial than managerial. She decided that shed rather be

unemployed than unhappily employedso she quit.

Up to 20 percent of turnover takes place in the first 45 days, said Michelle Smith, vice president of Marketing for O.C. Tanner, an

employee recognition and incentives consulting company in Salt Lake City. This number is even higher with emerging adults

(www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/employeerelations/articles/pages/emerging-adults.aspx). They define success differently than other

generations. If a job isnt meaningful to them, they arent afraid to leave.

A 2013 Georgetown study confirms that, on average, Millennials change jobs 6.3 times

(www.shrm.orghttps://georgetown.app.box.com/s/8tchnjo0wq9meamwwn5f) from ages 18 to 25.

Theres a common perception that Millennials are too impatient, said Haydn Shaw, a generational expert and the author of Sticking

Points: How to Get 4 Generations Working Together in the 12 Places They Come Apart (Tyndale House Publishers, 2013). But a lot of

their job-hopping is age- and stage-appropriate. They are still actively exploring options.

Kayla Buell, age 25, is a contract administrator with Baptist Health South Florida in Miami and the author of Corporate Survival Guide

for Your Twenties: A Guide to Helping You Navigate the Business World (Dragon Fruit, 2016). We dont need to leave. Were more than

happy to be loyal. As long as were learning and growing, Buell said.

She has changed jobs several times, but all of her moves have been within the same organization.

Internal mobility is really important to me, Buell said.

This feeling is not unique to Millennials. In a survey of 7,530 LinkedIn members who recently changed jobs, not having opportunities for

advancement was the No. 1 reason people jumped ship.

LinkedIns 2013 Global Recruiting Trends survey (www.shrm.orghttps://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/2014/03/internal-

mobility-exit-survey) of 3,379 HR professionals and talent specialists also showed a disconnect between what employees know and

HRs perception of their knowledge. Sixty-nine percent of HR people believed employees knew about their internal mobility programs;

25 percent of their employees actually knew about those programs.

Make the Most of Onboarding

Brendan Browne, vice president of global talent acquisition at LinkedIn in Mountain View, Calif., says that employers need to publicize

internal mobility programs during the onboarding process.

Employers can emphasize that the companys commitment to advancing the employees career doesnt end with their hires.

Buell believes HR can do a better job promoting the services it has to offer.

Sometimes HR is kind of hidden, or seen as the place you go only when youre having problems. But HR from the get-go should work

to form a positive relationship with new hires, especially Millennials, so that Millennials learn to see HR as a resource.

Before Buell started her job, HR reached out to her to explain policies, procedures and benefits. Along with other new hires, she

participated in a two-day orientation program where she learned about the hospitals mission and vision. She met people from different

departments and was even introduced to the CEO. She felt recognized and appreciated.

You have to plan their entry into the system, Shaw said. Give them time to adapt and learn. Dont just throw them into the deep end

and leave them alone to figure things out for themselves.

Onboarding works best when it is a comprehensive, systematic process of integrating new employees into the organization.

A.C. Nielsen, a global marketing research firm, developed an onboarding process that integrates its annual cohort of new college

graduates into the organization. During a five-day orientation week, they learn about the company and its policies, procedures and

culture. They have planned free time to get to know each other and to make workplace friends that help them feel connected and

engaged.

In Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success (www.shrm.org/about/foundation/products/documents/onboarding%20epg-

%20final.pdf) (part of the SHRM Foundations Effective Practice Guidelines series), author Talya Bauer, Ph.D., writes:

Research and conventional wisdom both suggest that employees get about 90 days to prove themselves in a new job. The faster the

new hire feels welcome and prepared for their jobs, the faster they will be able to successfully contribute to the firm's mission.

The report identifies four successive levels of onboarding, aka the Four Cs:

Complianceteaching basic policies and procedures.

Clarificationensuring that new hires understand their job and related expectations.

Cultureimparting a sense of the formal and informal organizational norms.

Connectionhelping new hires establish relationships and networks.

Self-efficacy (or self-confidence) often determines how productive and successful a new employee will become, Bauer added.
As a journalism major at the University of North Carolina in Raleigh, Olivia Barrow interned at American City Journals in Raleigh. She

parlayed her internship into a professional position as a reporter with the Dayton Business Journal in Dayton, Ohio, an American City

Journals affiliate.

Training notwithstanding, Barrow, 24, was nervous about her own capabilities when she first started out. She sees that same anxiety

among her peers.

The first few months are all in panic mode, she said. Many people dont evaluate the job that closely because theyre too worried

about not getting a job. Once they land the job, they realize that they dont know how to do it. Early success is huge. They want to feel

like theyre doing a good job.

Although her employer didnt have a formal onboarding process, Barrow met the CEO on her first day and had weekly meetings with

her managers.

I felt like they were really invested in me, she said. A lot of employers dont do that with their new employees.

Their investment paid off. During her three years in Dayton she was promoted to senior reporter and received three awards from the

Ohio Excellence in Journalism competition. Ready to move on, she then took a senior reporter position with the Milwaukee Business

Journal, another American City Journals newspaper.

While HR people are challenged to help develop successful onboarding programs and processes for other employees, many have

their own war stories. When Kelly Rietow, principal of Roo Solutions, an HR consulting firm in Minneapolis, presented a seminar to a

group of seasoned HR managers and directors on the topic of new hire orientation and onboarding, she was surprised at how many

attendees had horror stories about their own orientation process.

When one HR manager arrived for her first day of work, her new boss showed her to someone elses desk and took the computer

away from him. Thats how the person found out that he was being replaced.

First impressions are often lasting impressions. Two months later, the HR manager left the company.

Get Clear on Managing Millennials

A lot of managers dont try to grow their talent, Smith said. This is a problem for emerging adults because they are all about learning

and growth. If they arent learning and growing, they will leave.

She encourages HR professionals to educate managers about the importance of coaching and mentoring new hires.

Poor management is one of the main reasons that these new employees leave so soon, Shaw agreed.

Shaw also emphasized the importance of role clarity. New hires need to know whats expected of them so they can manage their own

expectations.

Had Ann known that she was signing on for a legal secretary job, she says, she would not have accepted the position.

Smith faults poor job descriptions.

HR professionals often oversell a position, she said, because theyre being pressured to hire someone even if that person isnt a good

fit for the job.

 HR needs to push back on management to really think about their needs and craft accurate job descriptions. Otherwise, you end up

with different expectations and nobodys happy. HR cant be passive. If they want a seat at the table, they have to be willing to stand up

and be counted, Smith said.

Managers may need to manage their own expectations. Todays twenty-somethings are working with a different playbook than

previous generations.

We have to quit measuring turnover by Boomer standards, Shaw said. Millennials are going to leave you. Stop trying to get them to

act like [Generation X].

While there are always generational differences, there are also unexpected similarities. Data from the Georgetown survey shows Baby

Boomers changed jobs 5.5 times from ages 18 to 25.

During this emerging adult life stage, people often have fewer responsibilities and greater freedom of movement. Barrow believes

that her peers dont always leave one job for a better job with another organization.

They lose them to wanderlust, Barrow said. They want to see whats out there for them.

Employers that create opportunities for employees to move around and try different things are more likely to keep those employees

engaged.

Their boredom is your problem, Shaw said.

To retain these employees, understand their motivations. Emerging adults want flexible work arrangements, travel opportunities,

training and education, meaningful work, and internal mobility.

Give them a voice, Shaw said. You may not be able to solve every problem, but you still can listen to what they have to say.

Arlene S. Hirsch is a noted career counselor and author with a private practice in Chicago, where she specializes in working with

emerging adults and their families. Her books include How to Be Happy at Work (Jist Publishing, 2003), Love Your Work and Success

Will Follow (Wiley, 1995), and The Wall Street Journal Premier Guide to Interviewing (Wiley, 1999). Her website is www.arlenehirsch.com

(http://www.arlenehirsch.com/).

Contact Us (www.shrm.org/about-shrm/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx) | 800.283.SHRM (7476)

2017 SHRM. All Rights Reserved

SHRM provides content as a service to its readers and members. It does not offer legal advice, and cannot guarantee the accuracy or suitability of its content for a particular

purpose.

Disclaimer (www.shrm.org/about-shrm/Pages/Terms-of-Use.aspx#Disclaimer)