They aren’t wrong when they say happy employees are good for business. Business.com says that keeping employees happy results in increased productivity, high engagement, low absenteeism, and, of course, improved retention. And you know what that means? A serious boost to the bottom line.
But keeping employees happy isn’t just about free snacks and casual Fridays. It’s about optimizing the entire employee life cycle, from the moment they apply for a job to the day they say goodbye—hopefully not too soon! So, how do you make sure your employees feel valued every step of the way? Here are a few tips that will help you make the employee life cycle the best it can be.
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Table of Contents
#1 Write Job Postings That Don’t Sound Like Every Other Job Posting
If your job descriptions sound like they were copy-pasted from a corporate handbook, you’re already losing great talent. Ditch the jargon and make your job posting engaging. Randstad USA points out that job descriptions often overuse superlatives, which diminishes their impact.
Go easy on superlatives. Stick to no more than two, or you’ll bloat your job description copy. Avoid using gendered pronouns. About 50% of the working population loses interest in jobs due to them. Keeping it simple is the key. Talk like a human, not a corporate robot. Be honest about the role. Don’t oversell it or add 50 buzzwords. Just tell people what they will do.
Show off your culture. Is your team fun? Collaborative? Work-life balance friendly? Let that shine through.
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#2 Nail the Onboarding Process
You know that awkward first day at a new job? Sitting at a desk with no computer, drowning in paperwork, and wondering if you made a huge mistake. Don’t let the same thing happen with your employees. Onboarding sets the tone for an employee’s entire journey. A smooth, welcoming process can quickly turn nervous newbies into engaged team members.
First impressions matter. Have their email, laptop, and workspace set up before they arrive. Give them a structured, digestible plan for their first few weeks. Safety is key, too. Healthy Working Lives notes that fire presents a significant risk to businesses.
Walk them through fire prevention protocols. Many workplaces relied on aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, for fire suppression. But amidst ongoing AFFF lawsuits, businesses are shifting to fluorine-free alternatives. If you have also joined the bandwagon, inform them about it. That will show how much you care for your employees’ well-being.
In regard to the AFFF controversy, Drugwatch.com reports that suits claim that those exposed to it developed cancer. How, you may wonder. AFFF contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, that are carcinogenic. According to TorHoerman Law, exposure to PFAS is linked with bladder, breast, kidney, liver, and thyroid cancers. Lawyers estimated the AFFF lawsuit settlement amounts could range between $20,000 and $1,000,000 or more.
#3 Give Employees a Growth Path
No one wants to feel stuck in a dead-end job. If employees don’t see a future with your company, they will start updating their LinkedIn profiles quickly. A recent feature of IMC Learning has revealed that 52% of employees quit because they didn’t see professional or personal development opportunities. That’s over half the workforce potentially walking out the door.
Investing in employees’ growth is the best way to reduce turnover. Forbes advises fostering growth with training, developmental plans, and mentorship. Give them access to courses, conferences, or internal coaching sessions. Also, create clear career paths. Employees should know what it takes to level up.
#4 Make Offboarding a Positive Experience
When employees leave, don’t treat them like they don’t exist anymore. Offboarding isn’t just about collecting a badge and shutting down an email account. But it’s a chance to leave things on a good note. Exit interviews matter. Ask real questions and listen. Departing employees gives golden insights into what’s working and what isn’t.
Throw a small farewell gathering, give a parting gift, and keep the door open for potential returnees—boomeranging is more common than you think. A recent international survey found that 20% of employees who quit during the COVID-19 pandemic returned to their old employers. Try to keep things smooth. Make paperwork, final pay, and benefits transition seamless. No one wants to chase HR for weeks.
Employees aren’t just cogs in a machine. They are humans who want to feel valued, challenged, and heard. Optimizing their experience isn’t about perks but about designing a workplace that makes people want to stay. Get creative. Be flexible. And most importantly—listen to what your employees want. Do that, and you’ll build a company culture where people don’t just work for a paycheck but because they genuinely love being part of the team.
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