Employee Lifecycle: Understanding its importance for organizational success

Understand the seven stages of the employee lifecycle to enhance recruitment, development, and retention strategies at your company. This guide explains how to optimize each phase for improved employee engagement and performance.

By Douglas Wade, Attorney

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Table of Contents

1. Why should you know about the employee lifecycle?

2. What makes up the employee lifecycle?

3. Why is it important to get the employee lifecycle right?

4. The employee lifecycle’s 7 stages

5. Now it’s your turn!

Why should you know about the employee lifecycle?

You can attract the best candidates, improve staff experience, and boost output and performance at your company by being aware of the employee lifecycle and understanding how to interact with workers at each point. This article will focus on the seven stages of the employee lifecycle and how you can ensure your staff members enjoy every stage of the process. Now let’s get started!

What makes up the employee lifecycle?

The employee lifecycle captures the working relationship between workers and their companies. Stated otherwise, it outlines the several phases an employee experiences, from hiring to departure.

An employee lifecycle framework has seven stages, which are:

Attraction
Recruiting
Onboard
Development
Retention
Offboarding
Departure

With the aid of this employee lifecycle model, you can observe the interaction between employees and employers in your company. This makes it easier to ensure you have all you require to provide your staff with the tools they need to succeed and remain content, motivated, and productive.

The employee experience is how workers feel about what they see and experience at each point in their careers. Making decisions that are best for your company and its employees is simpler when you know how the concept of the employee lifecycle fits into your operations.

According to Linda Shaffer, Checkr’s Chief People Operations Officer, successful human capital management requires knowing the employee lifecycle. It assists companies in identifying the requirements of their workforce, creating plans to address those demands, and ensuring that all essential measures are implemented to maximize worker engagement and productivity.

Organizations may build effective policies and processes that encourage the growth of their most important asset—their employees—by thoroughly grasping the employee lifecycle.

Why is it important to get the employee lifecycle right?

The employee lifecycle is crucial to manage for numerous reasons. These are as follows:

Improving the Worker Experience

By monitoring the various phases of your employee lifecycle, you can ensure that every employee has a positive experience before, during, and after joining your organization.

You must address the various demands of talent at various stages of the employee lifecycle.

For example, let’s say a new hire enters the company with a lot of excitement but cannot perform their tasks right away. They will require assistance in performing their job duties and modeling the behaviors and values that the company values and encourages.

As a consultant, coach, and facilitator of cultural change, Lisa Schmidt notes that this is not the same as a worker who has effectively transitioned from a behind-the-scenes position into their first job in management. In that case, the employee may understand the culture but not have the leadership abilities to oversee the performance of people and groups under their direction.

Companies can concentrate on what will make an individual thrive and seek the resources, services, and development they require when they recognize that needs change over time. Different individuals require various forms of help based on their experience, preferences, and skills.

Keeping an eye on the employee lifecycle might help you gain insight into your workers’ attitudes toward the company and their positions. You can find weaknesses in your hiring, orientation, and retention procedures and make the necessary adjustments. It lets you determine whether your company is making enough efforts to maintain employee satisfaction and, if not, what further actions are necessary.

Increasing output and performance within the organization

By being aware of the various phases of your employee lifecycle, you may implement adjustments that will improve company performance and boost productivity. This knowledge assists you in determining the best ways to inspire your staff, whether through rewards, educational opportunities, or other projects.

Additionally, you can find out what kind of atmosphere your workers prefer so they are always comfortable.

There is a strong business case for doing this: companies that provide excellent employee experiences see more than 50% revenue increases. Contented and motivated workers are more effective and productive.

Employee loyalty

Longer staff retention is made possible by a well-managed employee lifecycle. For instance, enhancing the life cycle’s onboarding phase increases new employee retention by over 80%.

By making current employees feel more engaged and appreciated, ongoing improvements to the employee lifecycle and experience can assist in lowering employee turnover overall. Taking action to keep employees before they leave also assists HR in predicting when workers are most likely to quit.

The employee lifecycle’s 7 stages

An employee lifecycle paradigm typically consists of 7 stages. It begins with the recruitment of a candidate and concludes with an employee’s departure. The success of your business as a whole depends on each stage being completed correctly, so you must know what each involves to maximize its advantages.

The seven steps are as follows:

Attraction

In the attraction stage of the employee lifecycle, your goal is to attract applicants who are interested in your open positions, your business, and its goals. Your communication has a big impact on how candidates perceive your company. In fact, if a company takes control of its employer brand, three out of four job seekers will probably apply. It is important to think about how your employer brand communicates to potential employees and helps them understand what working for your organization is like.

Consider the kind of company image that will connect with potential candidates for your open positions.

It is critical to figure out the kind of prospects you wish to attract in order to develop a strategy and use platforms that will accurately place you in front of them.

Siemens, for instance, is attempting to alter the public’s impression of its business as a manufacturer of household appliances, cell phones, and washing machines. To draw in digital talent, Siemens would prefer to be seen as a corporation focused on digital. Siemens has implemented an array of communication strategies, both external and internal, such as the #FutureMakers hashtag, which encourages individuals to share their Siemens-related narratives.

The attraction phase in the employee lifecycle model is a good time to leverage HR marketing strategies. These include audience segmentation and performance marketing. Using multiple channels to reach your audience is also a good idea.

Posting a job ad and emailing about your most recent vacancy are only small parts of employer branding. It all comes down to fostering an environment that draws in the proper individuals and encourages them to participate in their work so that they can give you their all while they are employed. Being genuine and truthful about your company is essential.

Don’t, for example, portray your business as one that provides remote work options and flexible work schedules if that isn’t the reality. As stated earlier, you should practice what you preach regarding your workplace branding initiatives.

To summarize the key elements of the attraction phase:

Consider how your brand communicates with potential employees.
Ensure your career website and employer brand appeal to the needs and desires of your target market.
Establish an environment that draws top talent, and then showcase it in your company branding materials.

Tracking metrics during the Attraction phase

You can monitor the attraction phase of the employee lifecycle with the use of employer branding metrics:

Applicant demographics: This measure will assist you in determining the type of people your company brand appeals to. Are you drawing in a varied pool of applicants? Do they possess the knowledge and expertise you require?
Analytics for career pages: This measure will assist you in tracking the number of visitors to your career page, as well as their origins, duration of visit, and activities taken.

Hiring

The second phase of the employee lifecycle is recruitment. It all comes down to selecting the best candidates for your team and giving them a great interview experience, from hearing about the position to accepting the offer of employment.

Here are some suggestions for making the most of this stage:

Job advertisements

Knowing the kind of people, you seek and then customizing your job advertisements to suit their requirements and preferences is one of the secrets to a successful recruitment process.

Your job advertising may have different formats and styles depending on who is reading them. Your advertisement won’t appear the same if you use social media to target entry-level applicants instead of more senior individuals.

Make sure you emphasize the prospects, duties, and qualities of your ideal applicant more than the qualifications. Employ inclusive language since your chosen language will greatly influence the kind of applicants you draw.

Some terms may ward off female applicants since they appeal more to men. The following statement is an illustration of “masculine language,” which has been shown to appeal less to female applicants:

“You are focused on achieving results.”

This statement might be rewritten to read, “You are able to get results,” which would appeal to candidates of both genders equally and might increase gender diversity on the staff. Using an enhanced writing tool can help reduce the amount of prejudice that seeps into your job postings.

How the application process works

A simple and unambiguous application procedure is crucial. Asking for only what is needed to decide if a candidate qualifies for more consideration can help ensure your application process is efficient and quick. The less likely candidates are to complete all the phases, the fewer you will receive.

According to the most recent statistics, over 70% of applicants would become disinterested in applying if a job application took more than 15 minutes, even though 83% of Fortune 500 organizations require applicants to create an account before they are allowed to apply for a vacancy. Furthermore, 92% of candidates drop out on average!

Making the application process simple is the key to lowering the drop-off rate. Part of this is making sure you’re only requesting the data required for someone to submit an application. Rather than submitting an online form, you might want to ask for a quick video.

Today, more than ever, it’s crucial that your application and interview process be mobile-friendly, with 67% of job applications submitted on mobile devices. Luckily, you still have time to modify the application process. Consider testing an application form optimized for mobile devices to see how prospects respond. The method can be surprisingly ineffective, and you’ll know the precise areas that require optimization.

Method of selection

Efficiency and efficacy must be balanced during the choosing process. The ideal applicant should be hired as soon as possible without compromising quality. However, how can you land on the ideal balance between efficient and effective?

It ultimately boils down to two points. The first is making sure you choose the best candidate within a timeline that works for the company and the candidate. The second is guaranteeing your selection procedure is equitable and inclusive at every turn.

This means establishing precise and impartial selection criteria and conducting an impartial and honest candidate evaluation process. It also entails ensuring there is a framework to minimize bias during the hiring stage.

You may carry out the following inclusive recruiting procedures:

Employing an application tracking system that lets you screen applicants while delaying the disclosure of their ethnicity, gender identity, veteran status, or disability.
Using evaluation tools such as homework assignments that enable you to gauge the abilities necessary for the position in question.
Standardizing the interview procedure and assessing applicants using performance scorecards based on categories relevant to the position
Assembling a varied panel of interviewers
Using inclusive phrases in job descriptions and monitoring any negative effects.

These strategies allow you to draw in and choose a more diverse workforce.

Openness

Being truthful and upfront with your candidates is a major component of transparency. This involves being transparent about the length of the hiring process and what to anticipate within it. It also means discussing the company’s culture, beliefs, and reasons for hiring a new employee.

Avoid touting features and advantages that you are unable to deliver. Both parties at the table will only be disappointed if this is done. It might even lead potential employees to doubt your company’s credibility. The same holds true for pay and perks. Don’t offer a certain salary or set of benefits if you cannot deliver them. This will disappoint the candidate and make it more difficult for you to bring in top people.

To summarize the key elements of the hiring process:

Identify your prospects and adjust your recruitment approach appropriately.
Keep the application procedure brief, easy to understand, uniform, and clear.
Monitor the number of individuals joining, moving through, and leaving the process using your recruitment funnel. Ensure all your strategies are in sync to attract the ideal folks at every turn.
Develop a digital strategy and leverage technology to boost the effectiveness of your business processes.
Establish a fair and inclusive selection procedure to assemble a group of individuals who will flourish as a unit.

Metrics to monitor during the hiring phase

During this phase of the employee lifecycle, recruiting metrics to monitor are:

Candidate NPS: An excellent tool for gauging a candidate’s general level of happiness with their experience is the candidate Net Promoter Score. The results will indicate areas for improvement and how prospects see your hiring procedure.
Acceptance rate of offers: The proportion of applicants who say yes to your job offer. This rate should be high if you offer a competitive wage, perks, and benefits. If not, it’s time to reconsider how you attract talented people.
Time-to-hire: This is the amount of time that passes between a job applicant’s application and their acceptance of an offer. An extended hiring period may indicate inadequacies in your hiring procedure.
Application submission rate: This is the proportion of applicants who have finished all the requirements to submit an application for your position. If this figure is low, you should shorten or simplify your application process.

Onboarding

Educating new hires about the operations of the company and their place within it is known as employee onboarding. The basis of the employee-employer relationship is established at the onboarding phase of the employee lifecycle.

To ensure that all your employees know exactly what they’re supposed to do and how they can be successful, your onboarding process needs to be customized for everyone. New hires should receive help and direction as they adjust to their responsibilities as part of an ongoing onboarding process. But it’s also about ensuring HR compliance and organizing the paperwork for new personnel.

It’s best to do everything you can to encourage and welcome new hires. As a result, they can build solid connections with other employees and forge a sense of belonging at the office. The following are some professional pointers to ensure a smooth onboarding process:

Preboarding

The preboarding phase is the time frame that starts when an individual signs their employment contract and ends on their first day of work. This phase may extend for a few weeks or maybe even several months.

Engage and contact the new employees as soon as they sign. Consider inviting them to business or industry events, providing them with relevant reading and useful information, and including them in work (WhatsApp) events and groups.

Find out what information they need, such as how their qualifications match the job duties and where they can locate resources concerning corporate culture.

Day one of work

Ensure your new employees’ work gear, such as a phone or laptop, is organized when they arrive on their first day. Give them a present like a personalized note of welcome or branded business merchandise to make them feel special.

Plan an orientation to meet the team and their manager, get a sneak peek at the projects they’ll be working on, and learn more about the benefits packages.

Effective employee onboarding ensures that new hires are integrated smoothly into company culture and workflows.

Check in and make adjustments

Ensure you stay in regular contact with your new hires while they adjust to their new positions and settle in. Maintaining a close relationship between new employees and the organization is essential. Make sure they are comfortable and happy when they start working by checking in with them on a regular basis. It’s crucial to motivate managers to follow up with newly hired employees frequently.

For example, schedule a feedback session following each person’s first week, month, and quarter. More informal check-ins, like going to lunch together or taking a stroll around the workplace while they’re working, are another option. To put it briefly, making the most of this time is essential. It assists you in identifying issues early on and acting before they worsen.

Find out how the recent hires adjust to their new roles and what they think of the company overall. Naturally, ask about their onboarding process and if they notice anything missing.

Let them ask questions about the company and respond to any concerns they may have regarding their jobs. Above all, ensure recently hired employees feel a sense of belonging to your team. If there is a problem, you can resolve it quickly and stop people from jumping ship right away.

How to organize your onboarding procedure

Your onboarding process can be organized using various resources, such as a checklist, video tour, or manual. Onboarding software, however, is among the best methods for organizing your onboarding procedure. It enables you to maintain the process’s relevance and automate it. Using an app or program to organize your onboarding process will benefit you.

Establish a uniform, regulated procedure for acclimating new hires to your company.
Send out prompt push alerts to finish the procedure’s steps.
Automate time-consuming chores like evaluating documents and providing welcome messages.
Verify that all of the information is current.

Ensure that the approach you select is feasible and simple to implement. Employees should only be provided with the tools necessary for them to succeed in their positions. They may become overwhelmed by too much knowledge and be less likely to remember what they have learnt.

To summarize the key elements of the onboarding process:

Make an onboarding strategy that is unique to your company.
Provide an onboarding procedure that is simple to comprehend and adhere to.
Through preboarding, assist your new hires from the minute they sign their employment contract.

Ensure a seamless transition from recruiting to onboarding by ensuring that workers understand your expectations.

Trackable metrics for the onboarding phase

You may monitor several onboarding factors, including:

The time it takes for new hires to start producing at work is known as the “time to productivity.” This indicator can assist in assessing the efficacy and efficiency of your onboarding procedure. If it takes a long time for someone to produce results, it may be necessary to improve your new hire training.
New Hire Contentment: This gauges the level of satisfaction following onboarding for new hires. This will enable you to assess how well you’re integrating new hires into your team and helping them feel that their roles fit them. Additionally, it lets you pinpoint areas for process optimization or ways to improve the value it offers to staff members.

Retention

Employee retention is one of the longest segments of the employee lifecycle model. To maintain employee loyalty, you must consistently engage them. This helps you avoid wasting time and money on hiring new staff members while also helping you develop a steady, effective team.

According to the author of The Employee Experience Advantage, Jacob Morgan, ensuring that your staff are content and satisfied in their roles is the greatest way to keep them on board.

He distinguishes three components—culture, physical space, and technology—forming the employee experience.

Let’s take a closer look at them.

Technology

The future of employee engagement and overall experience is the digital employee experience. It has been essential in transitioning from a world where people prioritized their physical workspace to one that is becoming more digital, particularly for desk workers.

According to a recent Harvard Review study, employees who feel technologically supported at work are 230% happier and 85% less inclined to quit.

This means that the technology you use must enhance the work experience of your employees by giving them access to knowledge on how to do tasks. It should also foster a sense of community among them.

It’s also critical that your technology gives staff members the appropriate resources and information at the right moments. For instance, make sure staff members have access to all the tools they require to perform their jobs properly if you want to give them the freedom to act independently rather than waiting for instructions.

Culture

A key element of worker retention and engagement is culture. The interactions between your employees will be shaped by the culture you establish. It is crucial to make sure that your culture is inclusive because of this.

Research indicates that employees who experience a sense of belonging at work are likelier to remain with the company for an extended period than those who don’t.

You must first understand your company culture to provide an atmosphere where your staff can flourish. After that, you might change the culture to better suit your company’s aims and objectives.

But changing culture alone won’t be enough. You should also ensure that everyone feels welcome and included in the workplace.

Retention is significantly impacted by DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging). It contributes to developing an inclusive workplace where workers of various racial, gender, ethnic, and sexual orientations feel valued and accepted.

To achieve this, make sure each employee feels respected and valued. It is crucial to create an atmosphere where people feel free to be who they are, whatever that means to each individual.

This is crucial for luring in new hires and keeping your current staff. Employees may quit if they believe they cannot be who they are at work.

Physical space

The post-COVID realities of the workplace have altered for desk workers. Many of them engage in hybrid or distant work. The workplace has stayed on-site for deskless employees, who comprise most of the workforce, but their needs have changed.

Companies must be adaptable in how they use and handle their physical space since it greatly influences the well-being and productivity of their workforce. Regardless of what they do or where they work, businesses must make the workplace feel inviting and cozy for every employee.

A company’s physical environment, which is friendly and inclusive, sets the tone for how its employees communicate with one another and the culture they develop.

Understanding your workers

Gathering input from various sources regarding the work experience of your employees is crucial for employee retention.

Engagement surveys conceal the reasons specific employees depart and the unpredictability of the worker experience. However, even though this strategy doesn’t solve every issue, many businesses concentrate on raising engagement to boost retention, according to Janet Clarey. She is Director at McLean & Company, one of the top HR research and advising firms worldwide.

Talking to staff about the moments that matter and involving managers in recognizing turnover triggers are two of the most crucial components of employee retention. According to Clarey, collecting employee information and feedback can assist in pinpointing the primary causes of employee turnover that must be addressed to keep workers on board.

In other words, developing a strong employee listening plan can help you collect input from staff members and take appropriate action to address such problems before they become serious.

To underscore the key elements of the retention phase:

Encourage staff to stay by providing them with incentives. Ensure staff members see a future with your organization and feel appreciated in their roles.
Recognize and satisfy the needs and desires of your staff.
Establish an atmosphere that encourages your staff to give their best effort.
Create an environment at work where people can be themselves and feel like they’re a part of something greater than themselves.
Gather input from various employees and take appropriate action based on your findings.

Tracking metrics during the Retention phase

You can maximize the retention stage of the employee lifecycle by monitoring retention metrics. Here are a few examples:

Employee retention rate: The percentage of workers that remain with a company for a minimum of a year is known as the employee retention rate. Workers who work for companies with strong retention rates typically feel more a part of the company and are happier with their jobs.

Voluntary turnover: The percentage of workers who leave a company voluntarily is known as voluntary turnover. Let’s say a company experiences a high rate of voluntary turnover. If so, it indicates that staff members are dissatisfied with how management handles them. They may also believe that there are little opportunities for growth.

eNPS: This is the proportion of workers who think their employer is a great place to work. When a company’s eNPS score is high, its workers are content with their positions and believe they are progressing toward their professional objectives.

Development

Retention and employee development are closely related. If employees believe they have no opportunity for advancement, they will quit.

A McKinsey analysis states that one of the main causes of job abandonment in the post-pandemic era is a professional development and promotion deficiency. Because of this, it’s critical to recognize your staff’s capabilities, figure out how the business can best leverage them, and give your workers lots of chances for professional growth and learning. Look for strategies to close any skill gaps they may have.

For instance, the workforce education and upskilling platform Degreed and the Canadian telecom giant Bell teamed up. The Bell U Academy offered routes and skill development programs for participants wanting more experience. 98% of the 241 program alumni were still working in their new roles after graduation. Furthermore, compared to those who did not take part in these L&D programs, these people gave Bell a far higher rating for engagement and perception of opportunity, according to Degreed Chief People Officer Janice Burns.

Let’s say there are some activities that they excel at but don’t receive enough of in their regular work. You might consider rearranging things to give them more opportunities to complete those duties.

It is important to provide people with possibilities for advancement while keeping them engaged and challenged.

To effectively grow your staff, concentrate on how each person can contribute to the entire company’s success and be a part of the whole. It’s crucial to collaborate with your staff to design career paths and employee development programs that meet both the company’s and the individuals’ needs.

The hiring process is a fantastic time to discover what people expect regarding learning, development, and growth. This way, you can determine immediately whether you can meet those growth aspirations and L&D objectives.

During onboarding, bring up the subject once more to ensure that the management and new hire have the same expectations. Then, performance reviews and any period in between are the best times to discuss staff growth.

For those who are prepared to assume greater responsibility inside the company, you should also be concentrating on their leadership development. If you give your top staff a clear path for advancement within your company, they will be less likely to hunt for opportunities elsewhere.

Peer mentorship and coaching are two affordable training methods. They are also excellent resources for increasing staff engagement and camaraderie.

Job rotation is another method that can help transfer particular abilities, knowledge, and skills. It’s the process of shifting workers within an organization between positions, usually temporary and lateral movements.

It will be simpler for your staff to remain motivated and involved in their work if you ensure they have specific goals and targets to meet to progress within the company.

In summary, the following are the key elements of the employee lifecycle’s development phase:

Together with your staff, design career and employee development plans that meet both the company’s and the personnel’s needs.
Encourage staff members to acquire more knowledge and expertise to assume increasingly important organizational responsibilities. This highlights the value of leadership development.
To allow you to celebrate accomplishments and make any adjustments, be sure to monitor the status of your employees’ development goals.

Tracking metrics during the development phase

During the development stage, some metrics to monitor are:

Training ROI: This indicator calculates the return on investment for efforts related to training. It can be used to assess the efficacy and financial value of your company’s training initiatives.
Employee performance following training: This indicator assesses how a company’s training programs have affected workers’ performance. It can be used to evaluate your staff members’ ability to apply new knowledge to their regular tasks.

Offboarding

There are two goals for the employee lifecycle’s offboarding phase. On the one hand, the goal is to make the company more informed about hiring practices and employee satisfaction. However, it also determines the final perceptions that workers will have of the organization and the public persona they will project. In the words of employee experience specialist Ben Whitter, the intention is for your departing staff to become Happy Leavers.

It is imperative to have a deliberate and effective offboarding procedure when an employee departs. The intention is for the worker to depart your organization with a sense of preparedness, support, and value.

All handovers and equipment transfers must go smoothly during the offboarding process. Moreover, you can use this time to assess what worked well, what didn’t, and how you might improve your employee lifecycle. You should schedule an exit interview to do this.

An exit interview is a systematic discussion that assists you in understanding the experiences of your employees while they work for your company. With this knowledge, you may improve the employee lifecycle stages, giving future hires a better start.

Examples of questions to include in a departure interview are as follows:

What made you decide to quit, and what drove you to search for another job?
What kind of relationship do you have with your manager?
What aspects of your workplace did you find most enjoyable? What did you find least appealing?

Make sure the questions you are posing will assist you in bettering your business. Don’t simply blame the employee for not fitting in, for instance, if someone claims they didn’t like their manager or their colleagues. Instead, ask how you might become a better company so that future workers have better experiences.

Ensuring a seamless and uncomplicated process for staff members is also crucial. When they leave the business, you want customers to have a nice experience and feel good about your brand. Put differently, the offboarding phase of the employee lifecycle should not be undervalued. How people feel about you after they depart will influence how they refer to you to their friends, family, and (new) coworkers. This influences your consumer perception in addition to your employer brand.

Here are some additional pointers to make sure the offboarding goes well:

Thank them by email for their time and mention their positive impact on your business. You may even write them a heartfelt note or give them a gift as a thank-you.
If they’re being laid off, you can offer to assist them in choosing the best career path. Sending resumes to connections at other companies can be a straightforward way to accomplish this. To help them get their next job, you might also offer to pay for a third-party training course or certification.
Establish a defined procedure for terminating personnel from your business and ensure that all teammates know and understand how to manage it.
Stay in touch! Although it’s simple to forget about past coworkers, maintaining contact has advantages for both sides.

To review the key elements of the offboarding phase:

Conduct a farewell interview with the departing employee to gain insight into their tenure at your business.
After the leave interview, send the employee a thank-you note.
Look for methods to communicate with them.

Trackable metrics for the offboarding phase

During the employee lifecycle’s offboarding phase, you can monitor the following metrics:

Exit interview completion rate: This statistic indicates the number of workers you invited to participate in an exit interview or exit survey who actually finished the process. If individuals are unwilling to talk to you about their experiences working for your business, it may be a sign that they are eager to go.
Offboarding score: A figure indicating how effectively the offboarding procedure at your business is operating. A high offboarding score means workers had a positive experience upon leaving the organization. On the other hand, a low score can indicate that you need to do a better job of handling staff departures.

Happy leavers

Throughout the course of their employment, you should treat your staff members fairly if you hope to retain them and, ideally, use them as resources in the future. If you and your staff get along well, they may even return to work for you in the future!

If not, then what? If nothing else, they can tell their friends about you when they’re looking for work.

The worst error a business can make regarding employee engagement and retention is presuming that its workers won’t want to come back.

Companies can use corporate alumni portals to stay in touch with departing employees. These websites enable businesses to interact with former workers and provide them with information about the most recent advancements and activities within the organization. Additionally, they allow companies to connect with their alumni network and maybe rehire them.

A flourishing alumni network depends on giving your staff a positive experience at every stage of their employment.

In summary, the following are the key elements of the happy leavers phase:

Make it simple for your leaving staff to contact you once they go.
Take the initiative to contact your former students.
Provide frequent updates on the business’s development.

Tracking metrics during the Happy Leavers phase

Metrics related to the departure phase of the employee lifecycle:

Enrollment in alumni networks is a useful measure of the success of your alumni involvement strategy and alumni outreach initiatives. If former employees believe their time at your company was worthwhile, they are likelier to keep in touch with you and return if they have signed up for your network.
Email open rates: Former employees who want to stay in touch with your business will read your emails. This measure can be used to assess the efficacy of your alumni outreach programs.

Now it’s your turn!

A crucial part of the HR role is employee lifecycle management. This process helps locate outstanding employees and develop a retention plan to keep a solid, effective staff.

Now that you are more familiar with the employee lifecycle model, you may start implementing it within your company. Remembering that the employee lifecycle is flexible, and dynamic is critical. You may have to make changes along the way, but if you follow these guidelines and don’t lose sight of your workers’ welfare, you can establish a productive, pleasant, and engaging work environment.

Put these techniques into practice now and see how they spread throughout your company.

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California law mandates that final paychecks be provided promptly, with termination pay due immediately and resignation pay within 72 hours. Employers must include all owed wages, expenses, and accrued benefits, with penalties for late or incomplete payments.

Can an Employer Deny a Doctor’s Note?

An employer may deny a doctor's note if the absence does not qualify for legal protections under disability or family leave laws. Employers must evaluate medical documentation, employee statements, and applicable laws before considering disciplinary action.

How Much Can You Sue an Employer for Misclassification?

An employer's misclassification tactics can deny you fair wages, benefits, and legal protections. You may be entitled to compensation, including back pay, retirement contributions, and potential punitive damages, by pursuing legal action.

How Serious Is an EEOC Complaint?

An EEOC complaint can lead to costly legal battles, reputational damage, and mandatory policy changes for businesses. Employers may face financial penalties, investigations, and compliance requirements, impacting operations and workforce morale.

Do You Have Sample Letters for Termination of a Contract?

A contract termination letter formally ends a business agreement while protecting interests. This guide outlines key steps, considerations, and sample letters.

What Is a WARN Notice in California?

The California WARN Act requires businesses with 75 or more employees to provide 60 days' notice before mass layoffs, plant closures, or relocations. Noncompliance can lead to fines, back pay, and healthcare costs, making adherence essential for legal and financial stability.

What Is FICA and How Does It Impact Payroll Taxes?

FICA is a payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare, requiring contributions from both employers and employees. Employers must withhold, match, and submit FICA taxes while following IRS guidelines on deposit schedules, wage bases, and additional Medicare tax requirements.

What Is At-Will Employment and How Does It Impact Employee Rights?

At-will employment allows employers and employees to end their working relationship at any time without cause, impacting job security and flexibility. While it provides businesses with staffing flexibility, employees face fewer legal protections and potential job instability.

Employers Should Exercise Caution When Terminating Employees After Disability Leave

Employers should exercise great caution when considering whether to terminate an employee who is on leave. Employers are cautioned not to automatically terminate employment solely because an employee has used or exhausted their disability leave entitlement.

What Is FUTA? 2025 Rates and How to Calculate FUTA Tax

The Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) imposes a payroll tax on businesses that have employees, collecting revenue that funds unemployment benefits.

What Is the Difference Between a 1099 Contractor and an Employee?

A 1099 contractor operates independently, covering their own taxes and expenses, while a W-2 employee receives benefits and employer tax contributions. Misclassifying workers can result in fines, making it essential to assess control, financial arrangement, and job nature before classification.

How Do Contractors Typically Get Paid? Payment Methods and Legal Guidelines

Contractors receive payments through direct deposits, checks, payroll services, or online transfers, following legal and tax regulations. Proper classification, documented agreements, and compliance with IRS reporting ensure smooth transactions and avoid penalties.

What Is the Definition of a Non-Exempt Employee?

Non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay and must earn at least the federal minimum wage under FLSA regulations. Unlike exempt workers, they are typically paid hourly and receive 1.5 times their wage for extra hours.

Can Union Representatives Be Present at Disciplinary Meetings?

Employees have the right to request a union representative during investigative interviews that may lead to disciplinary action. Employers must comply or face potential labor law violations under the National Labor Relations Act.

What Is an FTE (Full-Time Equivalent)?

A full-time equivalent (FTE) measures employee work hours, combining part-time and full-time schedules into a standardized metric. Businesses use FTE calculations for staffing, budgeting, and compliance with regulations like the Affordable Care Act.

What Are the Signs of Unfair Treatment at Work?

Unfair treatment at work includes discrimination, pay gaps, and biased promotions, impacting employees' well-being and career growth. Recognizing signs like harassment, favoritism, and wrongful termination helps employees take action against workplace discrimination.

What Is a Statutory Employee on a W-2 Form?

A statutory employee is a self-employed worker classified as an employee for tax withholding purposes, receiving a W-2 instead of a 1099-MISC. These workers can deduct business expenses on Schedule C but typically do not receive traditional employee benefits like health insurance or retirement plans.

What Laws Protect Employees From Workplace Bullying

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