Having an employee leave within the first 90 days of starting occurs more often than one would think. Actually, 28 percent of employees leave a job within three months of starting the role. So why are new employees fleeing and how can you keep them from leaving? Take a look at these tips to help maintain a low turnover rate when it comes to new employees.

• Unclear Expectations: Most people who leave within that 90-day period weren’t clear on the position expectations or the job didn’t match the job description. The job may have been hyped up, or not explained properly during the hiring process, leading the candidate astray.

  • Solution: Be upfront with what the job entails, and make sure the job description is accurate. Be thorough in the responsibilities, expected hours and potentially provide a more in-depth list of duties.

• Onboarding: There’s nothing worse than starting a job and on the first day you’re left to your own devices. New employees should be properly onboarded, not just to the company but to their department. The top three biggest mistakes? No communication after the offer letter is sent, not welcoming new employees and information overload. Not taking the time to properly train an employee can lead to unanswered questions and uncertainty on how to do their job.

  • Solution: Ensure someone, the manager or a coworker, can dedicate the time to sit with the new employee to train them. One way to improve the process is to make it personal. Leave a welcome note on their computer and take them out to lunch with the team. The onboarding should also be paced. We understand you want to get a new hire up to speed but a rushed onboarding experience can lead to increased burn out.

• Lacking Skill Set: It happens to the best of us. While we don’t always like to admit it, sometimes the person we hired didn’t have the right skill set. The candidate didn’t give the impression that they weren’t the best fit for the position during the interview process. While this is a little more difficult to prevent, there are a few steps you can take to reduce the number of situations that occur.

  • Solution: You can try simulations or ask for samples of work. You could review credentials and applications and cross-reference with the job description. Reference calls are always helpful when evaluating an employee’s skill set and learning about their work ethic. Try employee referral programs. Employees who are referred have a 45 percent retention rate after two years and the referrer will have a better understanding if their skills would be a match.

With one-third of new hires leaving before a year on the job, it’s critical the processes are in place to help a new hire stay put. Having to replace an employee, on average, costs anywhere from $15,000 - $20,000. Reduce your costs and take the initiative to improve the new hire experience. What are some ways you work to reduce new employee turnover?