Organizations face growing hiring and retention challenges, particularly in frontline and technical roles. Many have responded with higher pay, signing bonuses or flexible schedules, but these efforts are often falling short. Compensation alone does not keep people in their jobs. Employees stay when they feel connected to their workplace and confident in their ability to succeed. Belonging and training, two factors often overshadowed by salary, can be the true foundations of early and lasting retention of frontline hires.
Rethinking Retention Before Day One
Retention begins long before a new hire’s first shift. The way a company communicates, trains and supports employees in their first weeks sets the tone for everything that follows. Connection and readiness consistently determine whether new hires stay or leave. A strong paycheck may attract talent, but without belonging or confidence, that talent is difficult to retain.
This point was recently underscored by Ford Motor Company’s CEO, Jim Farley, who said the automaker has more than 5,000 open mechanic positions, each paying about $120,000 per year, and still cannot fill them. He described the shortage as a national problem, explaining that mastering the skills required for those roles can take five years or more (Yahoo Finance; Livemint). His observation illustrates that even exceptional pay cannot overcome gaps in training and preparedness.
Data supports this. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 report found that employees who feel a strong sense of belonging are 3.5 times more likely to stay with their employer beyond the first year (Gallup, 2023). The Work Institute’s 2023 Retention Report identified inadequate training and lack of career development as top reasons employees leave within the first year (Work Institute, 2023). Together, these findings indicate a clear relationship between belonging, competence and long-term loyalty.
Training as the Foundation of Belonging
For many frontline employees, belonging begins with competence. Feeling capable at work builds confidence, connection and a sense of worthiness. When training is inconsistent or incomplete, new hires often feel isolated or unprepared, which can lead quickly to disengagement.
Structured training that begins before day one creates a smoother path to productivity. Pre-onboarding introduces company culture, policies and expectations so employees arrive ready to learn. The first week should focus on clear instruction, role definition, and accessible support. From there, on-the-job reinforcement such as regular feedback, peer mentoring, and refresher sessions helps new hires apply their knowledge and feel part of the team.
A study by LinkedIn Learning found that organizations offering structured, easily accessible pre-training reduced early turnover by nearly 30 percent (LinkedIn Learning, 2024 Workplace Learning Report). Mr. Farley’s comments about Ford’s multi-year learning curve for skilled technicians highlight the same principle: retention depends as much on readiness as on reward. Employees who receive purposeful training are more likely to stay because they can see a clear path toward mastery and growth.
How HR and HRIS Teams Influence Retention
HR and HRIS professionals connect the concepts of training, communication and belonging. Modern HR systems can integrate these elements into a single, consistent experience. Automated onboarding workflows track training completion, prompt managers for check-ins and uncover early disengagement signals. If paired with peer or mentor programs, these systems can balance structure with personal connection.
For example, an HRIS can identify when a new hire has fallen behind in required training or has not logged a performance discussion in the first month. Managers can then intervene early with support rather than correction. Feedback surveys collected through the same system can reveal whether employees feel equipped and included. This combination of digital insight and human interaction creates a more stable foundation for retention—and it scales naturally as the company grows.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
The financial impact of neglecting belonging and training is considerable. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), replacing an employee can cost between 50 and 200 percent of their annual salary (SHRM, Onboarding and Turnover Statistics). For roles that require specialized skills or extended learning periods—like Ford’s mechanic positions—those costs escalate quickly.
Early turnover compounds losses. When an employee leaves within months, the organization must absorb the expense of recruitment, onboarding and training again. Productivity drops as experienced staff divert time to cover gaps or retrain replacements. In high-volume environments, these disruptions affect cost, morale and customer experience.
Connecting Training and Belonging for Sustainable Growth
Belonging and training are not soft initiatives; rather, they are measurable drivers of operational stability. A well-structured onboarding process that connects emotional integration with skill development helps employees reach proficiency faster and feel valued from the start. Pre-onboarding establishes culture; early training builds competence and on-the-job reinforcement sustains both.
Retention begins with people who feel prepared, included and supported. Scaling these elements through technology and thoughtful program design are of growing importance as organizations expand and workforce expectations evolve. The companies that treat retention as an outcome of readiness and connection, rather than compensation alone, will grow and maintain stronger teams and healthier operations.
Sources
Gallup. State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report. Washington, D.C.: Gallup, 2023. https://ctiwe.com/files/default/2023_State_of_the_Global_Workforce.pdf
LinkedIn Learning. 2024 Workplace Learning Report. Sunnyvale, CA: LinkedIn Corporation, 2024. https://learning.linkedin.com/resources/workplace-learning-report
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). “HRM Strategies for Employee Retention.” SHRM.org. Accessed October 2025. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/hrmstrategiesforemployeeretention.aspx
Work Institute. 2023 Retention Report: The Complexities of Employee Retention. Franklin, TN: Work Institute, 2023. https://info.workinstitute.com/hubfs/2023%20Retention%20Report/Work%20Institute%202023%20Retention%20Report.pdf
Yahoo Finance. “Ford CEO Says 5,000 Mechanic Jobs Paying $120,000 a Year Go Unfilled.” Yahoo Finance, November 14, 2025. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-ceo-says-5-000-164653112.html
Livemint. “Ford CEO Jim Farley Flags Lack of Skilled Workers in America, Says 5,000 Six-Figure Mechanic Jobs Are Unfilled.” Livemint, November 15, 2025. https://www.livemint.com/companies/people/ford-ceo-jim-farley-flags-lack-skilled-workers-america-says-5000-us-six-figure-salary-jobs-unfilled-here-why-11763049052329.html
