We recently shared some insights on how hiring the perfect-fit candidate reduces the chances of employee turnover. Once you’ve hired that ideal employee, though, effort still has to be made to keep them. Even the best-fit employee can leave a company if they don’t feel valued, supported, or engaged.

How do you make sure an employee stays at your company for the long haul? Here are a few strategies we recommend.

Onboard strategically

Setting clear expectations and providing comprehensive training from the get-go is key to helping employees feel successful long-term. Make sure new hires are trained according to pre-written onboarding plans that are thorough and well-paced, and that they know where to go if they have questions.

Collect regular feedback

Employees have unique insights into ways to make their roles more effective and encouraging them to share that feedback can help them feel valued. Try to give employees frequent opportunities to provide feedback, such as check-ins with managers or anonymous surveys. And be sure to put that feedback into action whenever possible to show that you’re listening.

Recognize employee success

Employees feel most valued when their hard work and success are recognized. Provide rewards for good performance, preferably in the form of both monetary perks and public recognition.

Provide opportunities for advancement

Employees are most satisfied when they have opportunities to learn new skills and achieve higher levels of success. Make sure that the employees who stay with the company have chances to learn, grow, and move up the ladder.

Allow for flexible scheduling

If an employee’s schedule causes undue strain on them or their families, they may seek a job that better fits their lifestyle. While keeping your workplace staffed appropriately is priority, allowing for flexible scheduling whenever possible can help boost retention.
Flexible scheduling can refer to any policy that allows for flexibility in where and when employees work. One important form of flexibility is continuing allowing remote work even as public health improves, provided employees can still do their jobs from home.
If you’re in an industry where remote work isn’t an option, you can still introduce flexibility by allowing employees to work the shifts that fit best with their personal schedules. Giving employees a say in when they work sends the message that you care about their overall work-life balance.

Provide commute support

Commuting is often a source of stress for employees, and employees at Hartsfield-Jackson are no exception. A 2019 survey found that nearly one third of employees working in on-terminal concessions or other airport services had a commute longer than 45 minutes. This particular subset of employees is also most likely to take public transit, with 49% taking a bus or train as their primary commute mode.

Employees in airport management and airline operations also frequently have long commutes, with 27% of on-terminal workers and 25% of off-terminal ones commuting for more than 45 minutes each way. 70% and 84% drive alone, respectively.

Overall, these stats paint a picture of lengthy, potentially stress-inducing commutes among all types of airport employees. Employers who help lessen this stress may be better able to prevent employees from leaving for a job with a more accessible location. Depending on the needs most relevant to your employees, commute support could involve:

• First- and last-mile solutions. These are transportation services, such as shuttles or carpools, that take employees from the nearest bus stop or train station to your place of employment. They can be immensely helpful to employees who rely on transit and may also make transit viable for employees who otherwise would be sitting in traffic.
• Transit subsidies. Transit costs can add up, and if getting to your place of employment is too expensive, employees may look for jobs closer to home. You can help offset that cost with subsidies, pre-tax transit savings plans, or rewards programs that offer cash bonuses to transit riders.
• Carpool and vanpool support. Carpools and vanpools reduce traffic on the road while supporting employees who don’t have cars and don’t live near transit. Employers can help facilitate carpool and vanpool formation among employees who work similar shifts.
• Rideshare support. Providing vouchers for rideshare services and joining the Guaranteed Ride Home program, which pays for rideshares after transit services are closed, can give a lifeline to employees in case of emergencies.

There are many reasons why employees may leave jobs, but there are just as many strategies employers can implement to encourage them to stay. Many of these strategies come down to one simple fact: employees who are valued and supported stay in their jobs.

This support can take the form of anything from recognition and advancement to flexible scheduling and commute support. If you need help implementing innovative approaches to commuting or scheduling,