SMEs lose workers due to bad onboarding of employees, Cezanne HR study finds

Companies risk losing new workers if their new starters are given lacklustre first impressions of the business

SMEs lose workers due to bad onboarding of employees

If you’re offered the job after a gruelling recruitment process it seems like a no-brainer to accept your hard-fought reward. However, don’t forget hopeful employers must also sell themselves to secure the talent, especially given the record-high employment rates. Unfortunately it seems as if many SMEs fail to woo candidates, leaving many new starters turning at the door.  

Having surveyed 400 SME office workers, Cezanne HR, the HR software solutions provider, revealed 32.01% had changed their minds about an employer after accepting an offer at least once. The most common reason was finding proposals of higher wages elsewhere, which accounted for 51.54%. The second most frequent cause for jobseekers having a change of heart was the 33.85% blamed a poor, non-existent or bad experience following the job offer. 

However, even when employers managed get people to start their job, a staggering 42.43% jumped ship after just six months. Topping the list of reasons why was that the job hadn’t been what they’d imagined, which accounted for 56.14% of respondents. This was followed by a lack of welcoming arms causing 33.92% of workers to jump ship. 

Commenting on the findings, Sue Lingard, director at Cezanne HR, said: “These sorts of statistics make for sobering reading and support the long-held belief that poor selection and onboarding practices are costing UK SMEs millions in recruitment and employer brand value terms.”

“It’s clear that companies need to take a long hard look at their approach and, whilst ensuring cultural fit and a clear understanding of job roles is essential as part of the recruitment process, effective onboarding has a huge role to play. If companies can engage and enthuse employees before they start, they are much more likely to fit in faster and a lot less likely to be tempted by a higher offer elsewhere – money is rarely the only motivator.”

In conclusion, it’s clear employers must pique candidates’ interest with more than just money if they want them to stay. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angus Shaw
Angus Shaw
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