Staff Turnover - 25 September 2007

The number one reason why employees resign within the first six months is because their expectations haven't been met. Some of these expectations are explicitly made by interviewers, while others are more implicit - such as the one that's associated with your employment brand. I've dabbled with internet dating, and each time I meet someone new online, I'm always convinced that they're "the one". Before long, I start to envision where we'll be living, what our wedding will be like, and how many kids we'll be raising together - and this is all before the first date.

Eventually we meet, and they're often two feet shorter, ten years older, and there are more awkward silences than sentences. My expectations have been crushed and as a result, there's rarely a second date.

A similar scenario occurs with new employees. They form expectations of what their job will be like, the type of manager they'll have, the potential opportunities within the company, the colleagues they'll be working with, and so on. So which unrealistic expectations have your employees formed? If they're not met, there's rarely ever a second chance.

Be careful that you're not overselling the role or your company during interviews; hold 'job previews' where potential employees get to experience what it's really like to work for you; get candidates to meet the team they'll be working with before they accept the job; and have frank and frequent discussions so that you're on top of your employees' expectations.

Manage expectations well and you won't need to nurse the workplace equivalent of a broken heart: a broken team.

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