Employees’ average tenure in even the hot companies like Facebook, Google, Apple is hardly more than two years. And these are the companies that top nearly every ranking. Many companies and their consultants try to extend this tenure by offering the most absurd “perks” or benefits, by building career trajectories – basically by coming up with new carrots to dangle from the end of the stick. But are a few more months of someone who isn’t happy at their job really worth the hassle?

A Radical Idea

Maybe employee turnover can’t be improved because people just don’t want to stay longer with one employer? Then organizations should focus on:

  • Finding out what drives the person you need to fill your position.
  • Hiring the right people at the right time in the right position.
  • Getting people up to speed as fast as possible.
  • Making sure people have the environment, tools, colleagues to excel.
  • Supporting people to move on when they want to.

But in order to support the organization or even lead it on this path to the future, HR needs to transform its mindset and think of their customers, the employees (yes they are!), as grown ups.

Change That HR Mindset

It would be great if HR, and that includes all the HR functions, would step off it’s high horse and

  • Stop complaining about millennials but deal with them.
  • Stop selling a position to a candidate but be honest. You’re just postponing the problem.
  • Stop trying to motivate people with money or frills to do a job they hate.

Most importantly HR needs to accept that their organization is just a stepping stone in their employees career. Even Apple can’t keep people for two years anymore.