From attraction to exit - why you need to foster the employee lifecycle

In much the same way an organisation has a lifecycle, so too does an employee.

For employers, understanding the lifecycle helps to foster an employee experience that leads to longevity, success, and high employee engagement. Embracing the lifecycle model is essential to determining the path for every employee within your business and ensuring the most successful outcomes. Here’s an overview of the six key stages to help get you started:

1. Attraction

At the beginning of the employee lifecycle is your attraction strategy. What is your company known for? Do you have a great employee culture, good benefits, and flexible working options? Do you have a good reputation for supporting and encouraging career development? Attraction is about your employer brand; the way in which your company is perceived by prospective employees. It’s a combination of the company’s public profile and its reputation as an employer, and it has the power to directly influence the candidates you attract.

2. Recruitment

Having a structured recruitment process is essential to attracting and retaining employees. It’s important to get this part of the employee lifecycle right as it incorporates the vetting, interviewing and selection of candidates. Ideally, a collaborative hiring approach across departments or teams, anchored by a clear set of criteria and processes, will ensure a smooth process with good outcomes. We recommend taking the time to ensure your processes are robust, finely honed and communicated across your business to ensure consistency.

3. Onboarding

Start by using the job description to guide the onboarding process – it should inform your induction, training, company values and expectations. All new employees should feel equipped with all the knowledge they need to get started in their role as well as relevant company policies and procedures. When people start out at a new job, they want to feel welcomed, respected and valued so fostering a sense of belonging via your onboarding strategy is important. Including staff from other departments in the onboarding process also gives new employees an opportunity to get to know their colleagues and allows exisiting employees to share their knowledge.

4. Development

Commitment to the ongoing development of every employee is great for your employer brand and employee retention. There are two key elements to developing employees; development within the existing role and career development as people grow and roles change. When an employee is starting in a new position it pays to focus on specifics that will help them succeed in that role, but over time you’ll want to know what they’re looking for, how that aligns with your business plans and how you can help support their growth. Keep your finger on the pulse by checking in regularly with with employees and offering opportunities for career advancement.

5. Retention

Retaining key employees means offering competitive remuneration, flexible working options, good opportunities, and a healthy workplace. It’s a critical part of the employee lifecycle as you’re essentially protecting your investment into human resource. To retain employees, you need to create an environment that will encourage people to stay. Cultivating relationships and implementing retention strategies will help your key people to know what their future looks like with your company.

6. Exit

Regardless of the reason an employee is leaving, their exit is a time to celebrate their achievements and their contribution to your business. If exit interviews are part of your employee lifecycle strategy, make sure to positively utilise any feedback to improve and strengthen your culture and make sure you manage each exit in a positive and professional way.

A good employee lifecycle strategy together with a well executed plan can positively impact business productivity and help a business thrive. Having the right people doing the right jobs and knowing that they’re committed to the business means you’re less likely to lose valuable intellectual property. It’s also a great way to invest in your business and your people whilst building an enviable employer brand.