We’d all like to avoid turnover at work; when you have a good employee, you want to hang on to them. But the fact is every industry has turnover. The average annual turnover rate for all industries is around 15 percent, but some sectors are even higher than that. Healthcare, for instance, has a 20 percent annual turnover rate (source: Society for Human Resource Management). If your company has a notoriously high turnover rate, how can you keep your team running efficiently during turnover?

Be Prepared Before a Resignation

When an employee puts in notice, it’s easy to feel thrown for a loop. Hopefully, they give you two weeks’ notice, but this isn’t guaranteed to happen. John Addison, president and CEO of Addison Leadership Group, advises that managers and other business leaders “always be prepared with a plan and a list of names of people you can contact if you need a quick replacement.” If you follow this advice, you’ll be ready to spring into action as soon as you receive a resignation letter.

Stay Positive and Keep Staff Informed

During this time, keep the remaining staff members informed about what is happening. Keep a positive attitude when you talk about the turnover to keep morale up. At the same time, be clear about any extra work  employees will need to take on during the transition. It’s easier to ask your workers to handle this extra work if you can give them a timeline of how long it will be before the company hires a new employee.

Write Down Policies and Procedures

When you have a constant turnover of new employees, written policies and procedures are vital. Having an employee training manual will cut the amount of time spent training each new employee. Things run smoothly when every team member understands what their role is and what you expect of them.

Consider Temporary Workers

One way to reduce turnover is to take your time when hiring, making sure to hire the right person for each job. Temporary workers can be a great way to fill out your team while conducting a thorough job search. Temp-to-hire is another great option, since it allows you to assess the employee as they work. Learn more about the benefits of using a temp agency, and request an employee, by visiting Staffing Partners’ client page today.