Adams & Garth Blog

As 2010 comes to a close, we’d like to take this time to thank our candidates and clients for your continued loyalty and support. We’re honored you’ve chosen our Central Virginia staffing firm for your staffing and employment needs and we promise to continue working on your behalf to deliver exceptional people and rewarding positions.

We’d also like to thank you for reading our weekly blog posts. We think it’s a privilege that you look to us as a source of information for hiring best practices, staffing solutions, and job search and career advice. In 2011, we will continue to post timely and topical information to help you better run your staffing function and manage your career.

In addition, we want to thank you for the positive input we’ve received from many of you over the past year. Hearing about your successes is such a joy for us and it reminds us why we got into the staffing business in the first place. So thank you!

And last, but certainly not least, we’d like to wish you and your family a happy holiday season and a healthy, prosperous New Year! See you in 2011!

As a Central Virginia staffing and recruiting firm, we know that employee turnover is costly for every business. Costs to replace an entry level employee can range from the hundreds to the thousands of dollars. In fact, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) determined that replacing an entry level employee can cost, on average, from 30-50% of the employee’s annual salary. So if an entry level employee who’s making $24,000 a year leaves your company, it could cost you $12,000 to replace that person. These costs include recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, and any loss of productivity.

So what can you do to retain entry level employees? Here are some tips:

Pay the highest salary possible.

Turnover due to low salary will actually cost you more in the long run. So if necessary, stretch your budget a little to pay a higher wage.

Offer rewards.

When an employee achieves an important goal or goes above and beyond, reward them. Offer a cash reward, extra personal days, or a choice of either one. Your employee will feel valued and will also be more motivated to continue doing good work.

Get to know your employees.

By getting to know your employees on a more personal level, you’ll have a better understanding of what makes them tick – and what motivates them. You can then use this knowledge to better manage them.

Offer financial assistance for education.

Paying for all or part of an advanced degree is a terrific way to encourage employee growth. You may also want to consider tying the financial assistance to the employee’s longevity with the company. For instance, an employee who takes advantage of the assistance has to stay with the company for a certain number of years.

Listen, be considerate, and value their ideas.

Entry level does not mean unimportant. And just because an employee is a rookie doesn’t mean they won’t have valuable ideas. In fact, they may be able to offer a fresh perspective. Encourage them to come to you with any thoughts or suggestions. Even if the answer is “no” to a certain suggestion, offer an explanation as to why that is and let them know you appreciate the input.

Be flexible about hours and time off.

Consider offering flexible working hours to your employees. Also consider combining sick, vacation, and personal days. The number of days allowed would be the same – but your employees then have some flexibility in how they use them.

If you need help attracting and retaining entry level – or any level – employees, please contact Adams & Garth. As Central Virginia’s leading staffing and recruiting firm, we can help you find, hire, train, and retain top performing employees.