Onboarding & early tenure
Why early-tenure turnover deserves a closer look
A departure soon after starting can point to a mismatch between the job as described and the job as experienced. It is a starting question, not a diagnosis.
MADE WORK · Practical guidance
Follow a group of starters
Look at people who joined in the same period and how many remained after a defined tenure milestone. Only include starters who have had time to reach that milestone. Compare like roles and locations rather than treating every new employee’s experience as interchangeable.
Investigate the experience
Ask what employees expected, what surprised them, how training worked, and when support was available. Compare this with managers’ understanding. Recruiting messages, scheduling, role clarity, and workplace relationships may interact; do not assume the onboarding checklist alone explains departures.
Change one meaningful part
Prioritize an issue the evidence supports. Possibilities include a more realistic job preview, clearer first-week training, or a reliable supervisor check-in. Assign an owner and explain what will change to the people affected.
Listen and measure again
Track the next comparable group of starters and ask whether their experience changed. Note staffing or operating changes that could affect results. A better rate is encouraging, but on its own it does not establish which action caused the improvement.
Every workforce is different. Use this guidance to frame your investigation, adapt it to your operating context, and seek appropriate professional advice where needed.
Explore the MADE WORK approach →