Actual Comments of Why Employees Leave
“When I was hired I was told there would be a mentor program. I was moving from one part of the organization to a totally new area. When I asked several times about the mentor program they would just blow me off. Then my supervisor was very hard on me and said I had 90 days to prove myself. She took everything to a different level. She said I had to be able to do the job on my own. I decided I was not happy with the job and it was not something I wanted to do.”

The Solution
The critical remark in this comment was that the employee was told there was a mentor program and when the employee asked about it after being on the job, nothing happened. This is not a good way to build a good relationship with any employee. It is entirely possible that the employee misunderstood what was being said during the interviewing process. If this is the case, talk with the employee and find out what can be put in place to help the employee be successful on the job.

Orienting a person transferring into a new department is not much different than onboarding a new employee. Many of the same things apply. Managers need to make sure the new employee has a clear understanding of what is expected with respect to the work to be performed each day, the work schedule, the work hours, etc. Managers also need to ensure the applicable on-the-job training or mentoring is provided. If these two items are not part of the orientation to the new department, the employee is set up for failure. In this case, the employee left before she failed.
Companies can minimize the risk of failure by developing and implementing a formal onboarding process for new and/or employees transferring within the company.

This process can as simple as:

• Introducing employees to co-workers and others they will be working with.
• Ensuring employees have a clear understanding of expectations, goals, and objectives.
• Providing on-the-job training.
• Make sure employees have access to the tools and equipment required to do the job.
• Being available to answer questions, provide coaching regarding job performance, and be supportive.

The goal here is to create an environment whereby employees can be successful on the job.

(This blog post brought to you by HSD Metrics, an exit interview company that helps companies reduce employee turnover by providing automated reference checking, exit interviews, and by measuring employee retention. The comments from exiting employees that are featured in this blog are collected from actual exit interviews conducted using ExitRight, HSD’s exit interviewing service. Because we place the privacy of our clients at the top of our priority list; the names of all involved parties are kept completely confidential. Check our blog often for posts like this, to reduce employee turnover within your organization. If you are interested in learning more, contact us today.)