The first 90 days are critical for retention, highlighting the importance of early check-ins and support.

While rental housing has always been a turnover-centric industry, some of the numbers border on alarming. Research from Swift Bunny indicates that one in six multifamily employees left their job within the first 90 days in 2024.   

For an industry that prides itself on a people-centered approach, the ability to retain associates ostensibly should be a strength. But while property teams excel at welcoming their residents to their new homes and help shape their experience in a positive way, they’ve often fallen short when trying to do the same for a new associate.   

To help bolster their employee retention levels, operators should approach new associates the same way they do new residents, according to panelists of the Apartmentalize session, “Mirroring the Move-in: Aligning Resident and Employee Onboarding Experiences.”    

“Hiring is of the utmost importance for almost everyone right now,” said panelist Kara Rice, VP of Education at Swift Bunny. “In multifamily, the turnover is ridiculously high but has always been accepted, like ‘we’re a high turnover business, just like restaurants, just like retail.’”  

So how does multifamily combat the trend? Widespread research shows that the first 90 days is a time that is “particularly vulnerable for employee turnover,” according to Rice. Just as with residents, early check-ins are critical.   

“There are so many little things you can do to make an immediate impact,” said Mary Gwyn, CPM, Chief Innovator at Apartment Dynamics. “You can send a welcome letter to new employees. You can provide instructions for their first few days on the job, so it doesn’t immediately become overwhelming.”  

According to a study by Jason Dorsey, an acclaimed researcher and speaker on millennial and Gen Z workers, the first week has an 80% impact on how long the employee will stay. According to the study, the top three components to become endearing to these new hires are having on-point tech, a manager who makes time for them and that they feel recognized and wanted.   

“You can get ahead of the game by doing those things,” said Peter Lynch, Chief People Officer at Cardinal Group Companies. “And there are many more things you can do to create that stickiness and make them want to stay,” added Lynch, who is the Emcee at NAA’s Cultivate this coming February in Nashville, Tenn.  

Cardinal has an onboarding call with new associates every Tuesday that frequently features CEO Alex O’Brien. Cardinal also institutes extended onboarding practices specific to the 30-, 60- and 90-day marks, and also offers a coaching program. Additionally, Cardinal has accelerated its time-to-hire process to hours rather than days to help prevent associates from choosing another job before they start.   

Transparency is also key in retaining new associates, according to the panel. For instance, new maintenance associates might be offput if they arrive to 250 backloaded tickets that weren’t mentioned during the hiring process. And while an innovative organization is appealing, things shouldn’t be so tech-focused that the job seems mechanical.   

High turnover not only limits production and puts a strain on existing associates—it’s costly, as well. According to Gallup, replacing a frontline employee costs organizations approximately 40% of the yearly salary for that position. The industry must work to close that loop and recognizing some of the crucial steps in the early onboarding process can help significantly.   

Paul Willis is a Content Director for LinnellTaylor Marketing.