Office snacks and table tennis might not really matter when it comes to employee retention after all. A survey by BambooHR found less than 1% of workers said “free food and other perks” would have helped them stay at a job that they left before the six-month milestone was up.
Instead, onboarding processes and on-the-job training are what employees really want: 76% believe training is the most important thing a new employee needs, and 75% feel a thorough orientation is worth the time spent. Those who have quit jobs after less than six months said a better onboarding process, including on-the-job training, formal feedback, and the assignment of a mentor, would have helped them stay.
The research backs up news from Accenture that 80% of this year’s college graduates expect their first employer to provide formal on-the-job training. However, their expectations may be unrealistic, since only 48% actually received such training.
More employers are recognizing the importance of training, however: Wanted Analytics reports that the number of online job postings that mention on-the-job training is up almost 70% on what it was just two years ago.
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