The average employee exit costs 33% of their annual salary. Yes, that is a huge number indeed.

This is why industry pundits say it is much more efficient to retain current employees than hire new ones. Companies that value their employees and are genuinely interested in their well-being get features like increased employee engagement and productivity as a result.

But how can all these factors add up to Employee Lifetime Value? Let us understand.

What is Employee Lifetime Value?

Employee Lifetime Value is a metric that assesses an employees overall contribution and value of the period of their lifecycle at the company.

Employee Lifetime Value (ELTV), like Customer Lifetime Value in marketing, views employees as worthwhile assets with long-term rewards.

It addresses different parts of the employee journey, including as recruiting, onboarding, training, management practices, and overall employee experience, with the goal of quantifying each person's cumulative worth.

Organizations may optimize ELTV by focusing on tactics that improve employee engagement, happiness, and retention, promoting a culture of long-term value creation and corporate success.

Understanding Employee Lifetime Value

Employee Lifetime Value Graph
Employee Lifetime Value Graph

The employee lifetime value graph measures the output of the employee (plotted on the y-axis) against the time spent in the company (plotted in the x-axis).

The start of the employees' output is in the negative axis, because they've just joined and haven't started to contribute to the organization yet.

After the onboarding stage, the employee slowly starts becoming a contributing member of the organization, until he reaches the peak of contribution. Once the employee decides to leave, the output curve slowly begins to decline until the employee finally leaves the organization.

ELTV Formula

Average ELTV = (average yearly revenue / total number of employees) * average length of an employee's tenure in years.

The average employee lifetime value can be measures by dividing the total number of employees from the yearly revenue and multiplying that into the average length of an employees' tenure.

How to Measure Employee Lifetime Value?

Measuring employee lifetime value (ELTV) is a multidimensional examination of the different aspects that influence an employee's contributions over time.

1. First, firms must analyze the success of their recruiting and onboarding procedures, taking into account aspects such as hiring expenses and the rate at which new employees become productive.

2. Next, assess the quality and effectiveness of training and development activities, including the extent to which employees learn new skills and contribute to company goals.

3. Furthermore, the impact of management methods in promoting employee engagement, retention, and performance should be investigated.

Also, firms should think about the total employee experience, which includes things like job satisfaction, work-life balance, and possibilities for growth. Organizations can benefit from measuring these aspects and analyzing their influence on employee longevity and performance.

Some areas which affect the ELTV are:

  • Recruiting
  • Onboarding
  • Management practices
  • Training & development
  • Employee experience

Using exit surveys, HRs could find out what employees wanted in the organization. But they may not get the whole picture as someone who is leaving may not want to burn bridges.

That is why, stay interview surveys are a better option for this. Employees who are already productive and engaged will convey what they feel about the company and what could be improved openly and honestly.

Try out a free exit survey on ThriveSparrow, see more employee survey templates here.

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How to Boost and Improve Your Employee Lifetime Value?

Improving the lifetime value of your employees involves fostering an environment where they feel valued, challenged, and supported. Here are some tips to achieve that.

1. Invest in Training and Development

Investing in training and development activities displays your dedication to helping your staff improve their skills and expertise. Frequent workshops, seminars, and online courses can keep your staff up to date on business developments and promote a culture of continual learning.

By giving chances for professional development, you encourage individuals to take on new tasks and responsibilities inside the firm. Additionally, training programs can enhance employee morale and work satisfaction by making them feel appreciated and engaged - which can increase the amount of time they'd like to stay at the organization.

2. Offer Competitive Compensation and Benefits

Offering competitive remuneration and benefits is critical to recruiting and retaining top personnel.

Conduct frequent salary evaluations to ensure that your compensation packages are competitive in your sector and location. In addition to base salary, consider performance-based incentives, profit-sharing, or stock options to recognize employees' contributions to the company's success.

Comprehensive benefits like as health insurance, retirement plans, and tuition reimbursement programs can have a substantial influence employee happiness and loyalty.

3. Recognition and Rewards

Recognizing and rewarding employees for their efforts and accomplishments is critical to sustaining high levels of motivation and engagement.

Recognize individual and team successes through company-wide meetings, newsletters, or internal communication tools. In addition to official recognition programs, consider adopting peer-to-peer recognition efforts in which employees may nominate and praise their co-employees for their accomplishments.

Personalized prizes, like as gift cards, more time off, or unique privileges, can help to convey gratitude and incentivise achievement. Recognition and awards must be timely, detailed, and real in order to have the desired influence on staff morale. Furthermore, developing an appreciation culture in which acknowledgment is commonplace may contribute to a healthy work environment in which people feel appreciated and respected.

4. Promote Work-Life Balance

Promoting work-life balance is critical for avoiding burnout and ensuring employee well-being and productivity. Encourage employees to prioritize their personal time by establishing defined working hours and expectations. Provide flexible work alternatives, such as remote work, reduced workweeks, or flexible scheduling, to suit different lifestyles and interests.

Cultivating a culture that prioritizes work-life balance can result in better job satisfaction, less stress, and higher retention rates.

5. Create a Positive Work Environment

Creating a happy work atmosphere is critical for increasing cooperation, creativity, and employee engagement. Encourage open communication and transparency by offering regular updates on the company's goals, efforts and results. Encourage positive criticism and recommendations from staff in order to continually improve procedures and policies.

Create a culture of openness and diversity in which all employees feel appreciated, respected, and empowered to share their unique ideas. Prioritizing a pleasant work environment allows you to establish a workplace in which people feel motivated, encouraged, and inspired to accomplish their best job.

6. Provide Clear Growth Paths

Providing clear growth routes and chances for progress is critical for retaining top personnel and cultivating long-term employee loyalty.

Discuss career objectives and aspirations with employees on a regular basis to better understand their desires. Provide mentoring programs, coaching, and development opportunities to assist employees get the skills and experiences they need to advance in their professions.

Investing in employees' professional growth and progress helps foster a culture of loyalty and dedication among employees.

7. Regular Feedback and Communication

Regular feedback and communication creates trust, accountability, and continual growth inside the business.

Provide positive feedback on employee performance, emphasizing areas of strength and areas for improvement. Encourage open discourse and two-way communication channels in which employees feel free to share their opinions, concerns, and ideas. Set up frequent check-ins and performance evaluations to discuss progress, establish goals, and give continuous support and advice.

This can develop better relationships, promote morale, and drive good change within a business.

8. Promote Health and Wellness

Promoting employee health and wellbeing helps maintain a positive and productive work environment.

Provide wellness programs and efforts that encourage physical health, such as gym memberships, exercise courses, and health screenings. Offer tools and assistance with mental health, stress management, and work-life balance, such as counseling services or mindfulness training.

Education and awareness initiatives can help to promote healthy behaviors including regular exercise, right eating, and enough sleep. Provide ergonomic workstations and promote excellent posture and ergonomic practices to help prevent job injuries and discomfort. Prioritizing employee health and wellbeing may help you minimize absenteeism, increase productivity, and boost overall job satisfaction and morale.

9. Encourage a Sense of Purpose

Encouraging employees to find purpose and meaning in their work can have a substantial influence on their motivation, engagement, and satisfaction levels.

Communicate the company's purpose, vision, and values clearly to employees, stressing how their positions contribute to the organization's overall goals. Provide chances for employees to participate in meaningful projects, initiatives, or community service activities that are relevant to their interests and beliefs.

Recognize and celebrate the impact of employees' efforts on customers, colleagues, and the community to help them feel more purposeful. Additionally, encourages people to develop personal and professional objectives that are consistent with their beliefs and aspirations.

By cultivating a sense of purpose, you can motivate and empower employees to bring their best selves to work and make a significant impact in their jobs.

Examples before Policies

Building trust, credibility, and respect among employees requires leaders to set a good example. Show integrity, honesty, and ethical behavior in all of your interactions and judgments.

Regardless of their position or duration within the firm, treat employees with respect, compassion, and understanding. Communicate honestly and frankly with employees, offering facts and ideas to build trust and collaboration. To make things even better, try using an employee success platform like ThriveSparrow, which is an efficient employee feedback survey tool that will help you measure employee satisfaction through all stages of the employee lifecycle.