Navigating high employee turnover is a leading challenge for HR leaders in industries across the board but is magnified for some that are particularly challenged with a ‘revolving door’.

The UK’s Office for National Statistics latest report highlights turnover predictions by sector with Accommodation and Food Services, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation industries struggling most in this area. In these environments, where frontline employees are crucial to customer experience, how can employers maintain efficiency amidst constant change?

Understanding high turnover environments

Various factors predict turnover including employee dissatisfaction, poor workplace culture and lack of development opportunities. But as recently highlighted by the CIPD, just 12% of organisations actively measure and address these issues. The impact? An ongoing cycle of lost knowledge and skills from attrition, increased hiring and onboarding costs and overall business inefficiency.

So, how can employers proactively break this cycle? Explore four strategies supported by real-life examples. 

1. Streamlined onboarding and training

Consider BrewDog. Challenged with maintaining a unique – and historically controversial – culture during rapid business expansion, they launched an innovative approach to their hiring and onboarding experience. Their immersive “BrewDog Bootcamp” for new hires, complete with brewery tours and interactive learning with company leaders, didn’t just orient employees, but brought to life their culture in real-time, from Day 1. This resulted in a 20% decrease in new hire turnover. What does this tell us? An engaging, authentic and comprehensive onboarding process is key to retaining new talent.

2. Effective communication

Lush Cosmetics faced a different challenge – maintaining clear communication in a growing, flat-hierarchy environment. Their solution was simple yet effective – “Morning Huddles” for daily updates and “Lush Labs” for weekly brainstorming. This approach not only streamlined communication channels but also prioritised culture of collaboration and innovation, leading to a significantly lower turnover rate. How, where and when communications are delivered is vital to engaging and retaining a dynamic workforce – particularly for those working away from a desk.

3. Engagement and retention

Asda’s journey with Rippl offers another perspective. Faced with the challenge of keeping a large workforce engaged and managing high turnover, they turned to a digital solution that combined recognition, rewards, and benefits. By launching ‘Asda Stars‘, a platform to streamline recognition, reward and benefits, Asda connect and empower a large, frontline workforce. This creates a mobile community built upon engagement and meaningfully addresses the needs of their colleagues.

4. Flexible working policies

Leading coffee chain Pret a Manger tackled the issue of attracting and retaining their people in the competitive hospitality sector with flexible work arrangements. By offering varied shift options and career breaks, they not only increased staff satisfaction but also significantly improved retention rates. Placing employee needs and priorities at the heart of People strategies fosters a loyal workforce who feel meaningfully valued.

In tackling high-turnover environments, efficient strategies root from understanding the causes of turnover and actively addressing them based on the unique need of the business. From redefining the onboarding experience, developing creative and accessible communication strategies, investing in digital engagement platforms, or promoting flexible work arrangements, employers can offer path to a stable, loyal and motivated workforce.

Interested in adapting these strategies to fit your unique business needs? Explore how to design and deliver a personalised programme with our Ultimate Guide to Recognition and Reward.