Why New Hires Quit and How to Stop It
Don’t you hate it when new hires quit? You go through the hassle of hiring a new person—sifting through an overwhelming pile of resumes, conducting interviews (half of which are worthless), and finally making a decision. Then, you spend time training them, and just as they start to free up your time… they quit!
Why New Hires Quit: The Real Reasons
Why do new hires quit after investing so much in their training? We bet you’ve heard something along the lines of “It’s not a good fit,” or “I’m feeling unqualified for the role,” or even the classic “My [kids, dog, commute, etc.] need more attention.” But what’s really happening here?
One of our favorite stories about why new hires quit comes from an experience we call The Hiring of Holly. Holly was hired as a key assistant to an entrepreneur in our small business. She started during the week our entrepreneur was on vacation, giving us time to train her on client management before she had to support him directly.
By the end of the week, we were sure Holly was a keeper. But when Monday rolled around and the entrepreneur returned, everything changed. By Tuesday, Holly quit.
Luckily, Holly was rare in her honesty. She said, “I loved working here until he came back. He’s nice, but I can’t work with him. I have no idea what he wants, and I just can’t keep up. This isn’t a good fit.” That’s why new hires quit—they often struggle to understand what’s expected of them in dynamic, fast-paced environments.
Concept One: Kolbe Assessment to Prevent New Hires From Quitting
To stop new hires from quitting, one useful tool is the Kolbe Assessment. Kolbe helps employees understand how they naturally operate and work within teams. Often, new hires quit because of miscommunication and stress that could be alleviated by knowing how different personalities function together. By understanding each other’s Kolbe scores, team members can avoid misunderstandings and work more effectively.
Concept Two: The Gap® (A Strategic Coach® Concept)
Another concept that helps prevent new hires from quitting is The Gap®, a concept developed by The Strategic Coach®. The Gap® explains the frustration employees feel when there’s a gap between where they are (new and untrained) and where they want to be (highly competent and confident). This overwhelm is often why new hires quit.
To help them manage this, create a clear training plan with target dates for mastering tasks. This gives them a sense of progress, reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Why New Hires Quit: How to Stop the Cycle
When we help entrepreneurs through our Smart Hire™ Process, we include a company-wide call to review team members’ Kolbe scores and introduce The Gap®. This helps new hires understand that feeling overwhelmed is normal, and it provides strategies for working through it.
If you’re tired of seeing new hires quit, implementing these strategies can help ensure your team members succeed.
Prevent New Hires from Quitting
Want to prevent your new hires from quitting? Visit fire.h50.us/~hrgnmpwr/dev2/ for strategies on creating a more successful onboarding process and tips to support your team members through training and development.
Champions of Your Continued Success,
Molly and Laney
