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In any business, a certain level of employee turnover is inevitable. The cause for this can range from your business and staffing needs changing and needing to let staff go, to employees leaving for a new career opportunity or personal matter. Regardless of the reason for the employee turnover, it can cause a skills gap within in the organization. However, companies that are proactively poised to mitigate this impact find that they are able to cover a skills gap and complete work more effectively – leading to reduced turnover rates.

Here are three effective strategies to mitigate the impact of employee turnover:

Cross-train existing staff.

It’s true that not all staff can perform all tasks. Some specialized positions require staff with particular credentials or training. However, any company can reduce the impact of the “skills gap” created when an employee leaves by training other employees to cover as many of the position’s requisite tasks as possible.

When calling on cross-trained employees to take on tasks when an employee leaves, remind them that the work is temporary, and keep them updated on the company’s progress toward finding a replacement staff member. Without these updates, burnout may set in, reducing motivation and productivity as workers wonder how much longer they’ll have to “keep up.”

Maintain an “essentials file.”

Each critical employee should keep an updated “essentials file.” This file contains information like an updated job description, reports the employee has completed, lists of resources the employee consults frequently in his or her work, and summaries of the most common problems the employee faces in the position and the most effective methods he or she has learned for dealing with them. When an employee leaves, the file can be used to get a new staff member up to speed more easily. It will also help cross-trained employees deal efficiently with unfamiliar problems until a new staff member is found and trained.

Work with a staffing firm.

Staffing firms specialize in nurturing pools of qualified individuals, creating an instant “applicant pool” for your hiring managers to delve into when an employee announces a sudden intent to depart. Your staffing partner can also help your company develop a strategic staffing plan that provides guidance and a long-term, proactive approach to staffing.

At TERRA Staffing, our experienced staffing partners can help you mitigate the cost and impact of employee turnover while reducing turnover rates with the right people. Contact us today to learn more about our recruitment services in Portland and beyond.