How to prevent job-hopping

2021 was the year of the great resignation, where employees left their roles at a record pace, and 2022 doesn't look like it will be much different. 
 

Job hopping - leaving a role that you have held for under two years - is something that costs companies significantly.
 

The cost of recruiting, training and developing new candidates needs to be replicated more frequently when job-hopping takes place.
 

So, what can you do to avoid job-hopping this year?
 

Craft detailed job description

Preventing job-hopping starts before you’ve even made your hire. It’s important to be very clear on job and performance expectations when writing job descriptions.
 

Job profiles should list the exact functions of a role, with realistic hours and anticipated flexibility included.
 

Many employees have left their jobs due to a lack of flexibility in recent months. So, if your job role will require an employee to be in the office frequently, make this very clear from the start to avoid a nasty experience later down the line.
 

Being honest about expectations can help candidates to self-select, too. For example, if you need an employee who can operate in a fast-paced environment, it’s crucial to emphasise this from the start, so those that perform better in calmer surrounding know not to apply.

Assess the needs of the role

Are you putting too many functions into one role? Often, employees who feel overworked and overwhelmed will quickly leave an organisation.
 

Make sure that the expectations aren’t unrealistic or too challenging for one person to take on. Remember, although most employees work hard, nobody is a superhero, so ensure that your role isn’t setting employees up for failure.
 

You might prefer to divide existing roles into two positions or hire more junior team members to support senior staff (just make sure that junior employees aren’t themselves tasked with unrealistic workloads).
 

Check your salaries are truly competitive

Most companies claim that their salaries are competitive, but if all salaries are competitive, then ultimately, none are.
 

Understanding what makes a truly competitive salary in your market takes insight. Good recruitment companies like Eden Scott will be able to assess the market as well as your employees’ experience and qualifications to provide you with a truly competitive figure.
 

This doesn’t only apply to attracting new employees: you can approach recruitment companies like Eden Scott for salary insights when looking to retain or promote an employee.
 

Conduct ‘stay’ interviews

Stay interviews or retention interviews are all about checking in with your employees to determine what you can do to keep them with your company for longer.
 

You can use stay interviews as an opportunity to determine your employees’ engagement levels as well as any changes you can make to keep them comfortably in their roles.
 

Encourage transparency, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about job satisfaction and salary exceptions.
 

Being proactive will save you the time, energy and financial resources of having to continually find new recruits.
 

Provide meaningful benefits

While in recent years, offering quirky benefits like office bars, at-desk massages and ping pong tables has become more commonplace, these aren’t the benefits that are going to make or break an employee’s decision to stay at your company.
 

Meaningful benefits include well-paid jobs, generous annual leave, good sick pay and health or financial-related benefits like life assurance, health insurance and enhanced pensions.
 

Make sure that your benefits aren’t all about aesthetics as the novelty will soon wear off.
 

Be kind

Perhaps the most important but often overlooked aspect of retaining employees: be nice to them.
 

With so many jobs available, people are unlikely to put up with impolite, overly demanding or simply mean managers for long.
 

Assess your leadership team honestly, and if they’re not getting results through positive leadership, it’s time to support them with alternative management training.
 

Final thoughts

Companies that implement changes now can make sure that job-hopping happens on a much less frequent basis.
 

If you’d like support discussing truly competitive salaries and benefits, get in touch with Eden Scott.