The person giving references is then able to cite specific events or experiences in which he or she has witnessed the applicant exhibiting, or failing to exhibit, the job-related skills and behaviors. The result should be more factually based and less subjective and opinionated. There is signifcant evidence in the annuals of most human resource departments to show that the quality, content and timeliness of the new employee orientation program has a high correlation to the retention of new employees during the first few months of employment. The recruitment of a new worker does not end on the first day of employment. In our current high demand market place, new employees have been known to quit on the first day or within a couple of weeks when their expectations are not met or management's promises are not kept.
Retention begins with the first day of employment.
The primary responsibility lies with the direct supervisor. Job satisfaction seldom is realized until the employee has been on board for three months or longer. If the employee is not satisfied, he or she is not going to be very productive and, therefore, highly susceptible to turnover. Perhaps if managers understood the high costs of turnover, they would be more attentive to their responsibilities for assimilating, nurturing, developing and retaining the new employees we recruit for them. If managers would only manage . . .