What is the Employee Life Cycle

An employee life cycle, also known as an employee journey, is an HR strategic model for mapping the complete employment journey. This model provides a precise overview of the touchpoints and how even minor tweaks can lead to massive results in employee overall performance and satisfaction.

Employee Life Cycle Stages

To get a complete overview of the whole employee life cycle model, it is essential to learn all of the stages and details of the journey:

• Attracting top talent stage
• Recruitment stage
• Onboarding stage
• Engagement stage
• Retention stage
• Development stage
• Exiting stage

Attracting Top Talent

An employee life cycle model begins long before a candidate enters your doors. It is a phase where the potential hire makes the first contact with the company. In this stage, businesses must follow a clear strategy and create a positive company image that best reflects the target audience. That is why showcasing the employer’s brand and company’s culture throughout all the marketing channels is crucial for this stage of the employee life cycle process.

During the first stage of the employee life cycle, the employer’s website and social media profiles play a significant role. They are a valuable opportunity to leave a good first impression, which is essential for attracting top talent. Use these marketing channels to promote your positive workplace culture and show how you prioritise employees’ well-being. For instance, filming and posting short “behind-the-stage” videos is an excellent way to engage your colleagues in a fun coffee break activity while at the same time creating attractive social media content.

Recruitment

The recruitment process is the most important and common part of the employee lifecycle model. It starts by developing a recruitment strategy on how to attract top talent. Using social media, or standard job boards, the recruiter is sourcing potential candidates. Once they reach a certain number of people or the end date, they conduct interviews and evaluate candidates. Additional testing and interviewing occur if the choice remains vast.

The hiring managers choose by paying close attention to whether the interviewee is a company fit and follows the same company values. The last part is making the job offer. At the same time, final candidates also set their requirements and expectations, and it’s up to the HR teams to find out if there is a match.

Onboarding

Onboarding a new employee is another essential phase of the employee lifecycle. Hiring managers authorise processes and procedures for the new employees and appoint a dedicated person to mentor and guide them. Prior preparation is the key: have the documents and equipment ready and have a Q&A file, including the whereabouts of people and things necessary for their scope of work.

Managers often overlook small steps that can significantly increase employee satisfaction during this stage. It is essential to focus on building psychological safety in the workplace and include social acceptance and understanding with people outside of working hours as well. These small steps can benefit the onboarding process, allowing for enhanced certainty, stability and a sense of belonging.

Engagement

Want to achieve good employee engagement? Provide every team member with opportunities for employee development and growth. This experience is a genuine way to nurture close relationships with your employees, leading to open and honest feedback and self-motivated engagement. Provide regular one-on-one meetings or weekly and monthly catch-ups to gather relevant information and insight into how your team is doing.

Another thing you could do for better employee engagement is to give rewards and recognition. Promoting the practice of “Employee of the Month”, whether in an email communication or just on a notice board in your offices, makes people feel proud of their efforts. Employee satisfaction rises steeply if there is some gift or acknowledgement in addition to the verbal appraisal, which may include bonuses or salary increases.

Retention

Employee retention is one of the critical topics in the HR industry that companies are always focused on. Companies keep their retention rate high by increasing their employees’ satisfaction levels.

Company culture is all about shared beliefs and company values turned into actions. They are your organisation’s mission and vision statement brought to life. It is what the employees feel when they step into your offices. The energy that their colleagues put into their work, their love for what they are working on, and their joint efforts when teaming together.

Development

We are living in a new, fast-paced age. What was once considered a “job for life” is long gone. People now tend to improve their professional proficiency by taking practical knowledge and constantly learning new skills. This job-hopping process is already becoming a norm. The essential tool to fight against this trend is to provide something they are searching for – developing skills and knowledge by continuous learning.

One way to do this is by creating an internal e-learning platform. All the company’s informative materials should be there. It is most helpful for the onboarding process. Certification through third-party courses and workshops is also a valuable asset. Tailored-made development plans help to align employee’s career goals with the company’s objectives. Soft skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and communication should also be encouraged. Finally, a proper mentorship can make a tremendous impact on an employee’s professional development.

Exiting

Although the employee experience with the company officially ends with this last phase of the employee life cycle, the communication and the interaction should not end here. We share a significant part of our lives with our colleagues. Hence, one of the ways to maintain professionalism and even friendships is by maintaining honest conversations usually by having exit interviews.

The ideal tool for providing a smooth departure is the exit interview. Prepare all the questions you want to ask your colleague. Then, give them space and time to give you an answer. Remember that open, two-way communication should be conducted by carefully listening, showing respect and providing honest feedback.

Maintaining Positive Relationships with Former Employees

Maintaining positive relationships with former employees is crucial for fostering a supportive professional network and enhancing your organisation’s reputation. This can be achieved by staying in touch through regular check-ins, acknowledging their contributions during their tenure, and offering continued support in their career endeavours, such as providing references or networking opportunities.

Encouraging open communication allows for valuable feedback and helps former employees feel valued and respected, even after they’ve moved on. By cultivating a culture of appreciation and goodwill, organisations can benefit from a network of alumni who may become brand ambassadors, potential collaborators, or sources of referrals in the future.

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