In any industry, high employee turnover can be a costly and challenging problem to overcome for Human Resources management. For hourly employees in the retail and foodservice sectors, turnover can be especially damaging. Not only is it expensive to constantly hire and train new people, but it also disrupts productivity and customer service. In this blog post, we will discuss how to reduce the turnover rate.

How to Reduce Staff Turnover Rate

We will also highlight the benefits of using HourWork, a software solution that helps employers reduce employee turnover and retain hourly staff. HourWork helps with a number of employee retention strategies, including hiring solutions, performance enablement, and management, all designed to help improve your operations. 

Seek Employee Feedback via Automated Check-Ins During the Onboarding Process

Pulse survey being conducted via text message. Woman texting on cell phone to complete pulse survey.One way to reduce employee turnover is to seek feedback from your employees. Ask them what they like and don’t like about their job, what could be improved, and how they feel about their workload. This will not only help you identify areas that need improvement, but it will also make your employees feel valued and appreciated.

Automated check-ins for new employees during onboarding processes are particularly important. When you first hire someone, it’s important to check in with them frequently to see how they’re adjusting. This is especially true for hourly employees, who may be working in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment.

Automated check-ins can help you identify any red flags early on, so you can address them before they lead to turnover. For example, without automated check-ins, you may not know that employees are planning to leave because they are not being given any hours or because they see no opportunity to advance. With automated check-ins, you can quickly identify these issues and make sure you’re meeting the employee’s expectations.

Pulse Checks and Exit Surveys

Hand choose to rating score happy icons symbolizing pulse survey for employees

Pulse checks and exit surveys also help you stay connected with your employees and collect feedback over the long term.

Pulse checks are short surveys that you send out periodically (weekly or monthly) to gauge how employees are feeling about a particular issue, for example, a new uniform. They can be as simple as a one-question survey (“How are you feeling about the new uniform?”) with an answer scale of one to five, with five being the best.

Exit surveys go to employees who left your company. You can use them to identify patterns or trends in why employees are leaving. For example, if you notice that a lot of employees are leaving because they don’t feel appreciated, you can take steps to address this issue.

Increase Employee Engagement

Another way to reduce employee turnover is to increase employee engagement in the working environment. Do this by providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow, giving them a voice in decision-making, and fostering a positive work environment. For instance, you can create an employee committee to give employees a say in how the company is run, or you can host regular training sessions on topics like customer service or product knowledge.

Flexible Work Schedules

Another strategy for reducing employee turnover is to offer flexible work schedules. This can be especially beneficial for employees who have family or other commitments outside of work. By giving employees the ability to choose their own hours, you will make them feel more empowered and appreciated. For example, if you know an employee has to pick up their child from school every day at three o’clock, you can give them the option to finish their shift at two o’clock so they can leave early.

Flexible work schedules show that you value your employees’ time and commitments outside of work.

Cultivate a Positive Work Environment and Company Culture

Happy barista man working in cafe

Creating a great company culture is essential for reducing employee turnover. Employees who feel valued and respected are more likely to stay with a company. To create a good company culture and improve employee morale, focus on communication, collaboration, and respect. You can also offer career development opportunities to your best employees.

This has the added benefit of lowering recruitment costs for the company, as you will be able to promote from within.

Offer Competitive Pay and Benefits

You should also offer competitive benefits and pay to reduce employee turnover. Employees who feel like they are being paid fairly and have good benefits are more likely to stay with a company. For example, you can offer health insurance, dental insurance, and a 401k plan. You can also offer paid time off, sick days, and vacation days.

It’s important to find out which benefits employees want and make sure that they are aware of the benefits that your company offers. You don’t want the right employees leaving because they think that another company offers better benefits when in reality they don’t.

Respect Work-Life Balance

It is important to respect work-life balance. Employees who feel overworked or under-appreciated are more likely to leave a company. To prevent this, provide adequate breaks, offer flexible work hours, and promote a healthy work-life balance. You could offer employees the ability to take a paid personal day every quarter, or you might allow them to work from home one day a week.

Reward Employees

Employee recognition inscription on the black sheet.

In addition to the above strategies, you can also reduce employee turnover by improving employee recognition programs. You can do this through bonuses, raises, and other incentives. By showing your employees that you appreciate their hard work, you will make them feel more valued and less likely to leave.

Employers that recognize employees for their achievements have fewer problems with employee turnover. Consider giving employees a bonus for every quarter they stay with the company, or maybe you can give them a raise after six months of employment.

Offer Career Advancement Opportunities

Finally, you should offer career advancement opportunities to your best employees and top performers. This might include promotions, mentorship programs, and training opportunities. By investing in your employees, you will show them that you are committed to their development and that you value their skills and experience. They can also invest in their career paths without having to leave the company.

Reduce Employee Turnover with HourWork

How exactly do you reduce staff turnover rate at your company? Employee retention is a complex issue, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, by implementing some of the strategies we’ve discussed, you can make a significant impact on your employee turnover rates.

With HourWork, you’ll get a new pipeline of candidates by re-engaging the people you already know, past applicants, and former employees. However, we can help you prevent employee turnover too.

HourWork helps solve retention and hiring problems for over 5,000 stores across the US. We’ve built the best retention system on the market; it uncovers what matters most to your employees and automatically checks in with new employees at key milestones. We also send exit surveys and pulse checks. You can quickly identify and fix the biggest drivers of employee turnover at your company, allowing you to reduce staff turnover rate.

Get in touch to discuss your hiring and retention needs.