It costs $8,500 dollars to replace a warehouse worker.

And the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics put annual warehouse turnover rates at 43%.

Retaining your employees and keeping them engaged is a game-changer from a financial perspective.

Here’s how to do it:

Ask what motivates them

Do this early in their tenure and keep it consistent.

Ask the same questions to all your new hires:

What brought you here?
What will keep you here?
What motivates you?

Have the manager reach out before they begin

Employees tend to leave managers, not employers.

That manager-employee is so important for keeping them happy in the role.

Provide prompts for how the manager can reach out before the new hire begins

Get senior leadership involved

A great way to make someone feel special?

Have a leader in the organization send them a quick 30-second video.

This doesn't take a lot of time for the leader but shows the new hire that you really care about them

Provide them with a buddy

This will be their go-to person.

They can ask them the questions they don't feel comfortable asking their boss.

Try to find someone that is about 6-18 months tenured, has a similar personality, and is strong in an area this person wants to develop.

Train your managers to treat each employee well

Get to know them personally

They are more than just a worker at your company.

They are an individual with interests outside of work and understanding this will deepen your connection.

Recognize success

Most of us are motivated by recognition.

But unfortunately, a lot of organizations just focus on what individuals are doing wrong.

Create a way to easily recognize people for successes and especially focus on celebrating those early wins to build momentum.

TL:DR;

6 steps to retain your warehouse employees:

1. Ask what motivates them
2. Have the manager reach out before they begin
3. Get senior leadership involved
4. Provide them with a buddy
5. Train your managers
6. Recognize success

What else would you add?

If you're struggling with this issue, we’d love to connect.

We have built a solution to help this problem and are passionate about helping organizations.

Please follow along @HarrisFanaroff and @joespeezy as we share ideas to help you engage and retain your talent.