Your next great hire just accepted your offer. Whew! Now it’s time to shift your focus to, “How can I keep this great person engaged?” With the average tenure of a US employee at less than five years, cutting down on the number of employees you cycle through is a smart business move and will save you time and money. Below are 5 tips for decreasing new hire turnover:

1. Make an effort to on-board them the right way.
Be prepared for your new employee on her first day. Have her desk ready, email set up, invite her to lunch, etc. Your warm welcome will put her at ease and demonstrate your willingness—from day one—to make an investment in her success.

2. Know your employee’s motivations and keep them in mind
Did your new hire accept your offer because of something particular that was important to him? Maybe he gets to work on a new project that he’s really excited about, or maybe your commission plan is a lot richer than his previous position’s? Maybe he gets a more flexible work schedule and can now make it to his son’s soccer practice every week? These are things you want to keep in mind. Forgetting about what perks are important to your employees is a good way to send them back to the job market.

3. Show an interest in them personally and professionally
Make an effort to learn a little bit about your new employee and invest a little time to get to know her. Is she an avid reader? Does she love traveling or play a particular sport? This speaks volumes and it shows you care about more than just the bottom line. If you know her career goal is to become a department manager, how can you show that you’ve got her best interests at heart and make an effort to help her work toward that goal?

4. Schedule regular “check in” sessions if you don’t work closely with them every day
Do you see your new employee every day? It’s really hard to stay updated on how someone is faring in their role if you don’t see or work with them daily. Maybe your new hire works remotely, or you’ve got so much going on that your projects don’t always overlap. Staying out of touch with your employee is a fast way to lose track of how he’s doing. And if your new hire is an introvert, he probably won’t tell you if he’s unhappy. He’ll just put in his notice.

5. Give credit when and where it’s due
The power of a simple “thank you” or “great job” goes a long way—even more so if it’s said in front of others. If your new hire has done an outstanding job on her training, give her some words of encouragement. If she landed a new account soon after coming on board, give her some credit! Employees who feel valued and appreciated tend to stick around.

Making your new hire feel like an important part of the team will set you both up for long term success. Remember that everyone is different, and that’s why it’s so important that you make a real effort to get to know your new hire up front. This will help you take the right approach to training, management, and professional development.

Happy Hiring!