If you’re looking at employee retention rates here in the United States, it is likely that you will see some alarming patterns taking place. After all, it has been found that up to 60% of all millennial employees are actually more than willing to take a brand new job if it means that such job offers better pay, better benefits, or even a better and more convenient work environment. And more people than ever are leaving their current jobs on a voluntary basis, with more than two and a half million doing exactly this by the time that the June of 2015 had drawn to a close. In the years that have transpired since, this pattern has only continued on, growing more and more alarming with the passage of time.

But what is at the root of this problem? As anyone who is working for a professional job placement agency or HR executive search firm can likely attest to, there are many issues plaguing the workplace, issues that can be found in many different industries all throughout the United States. Unfortunately, until steps are taken to rectify or even just mitigate these problems, it is all too likely that rates of employee retention will remain overwhelmingly problematic.

For instance, it is far too common to see a workplace that does not provide the necessary support and encouragement to its employees. As a matter of fact, only around one fifth of all employees in the entirety of the United States actually feel that their superiors are encouraging them to do their best work – as well as actually providing them with the tools and resources to do it. Unfortunately, for up to 80% of all employees, it is far too easy to become apathetic and disinterested in the place of work as well as in the work that is being done itself.

But this is not a problem that can’t be solved. In fact, the opposite is true. After all, even just making a small change, like putting an employee recognition program into play, is something that can have a tremendously positive impact on the overall happiness of employees. As a matter of fact, it has been found that, in more than 85% of all cases (in around 86% of cases, to be just a bit more specific), such measures are successful in boosting overall levels of employee happiness. And when overall employee happiness is shown to be on the rise, it is likely that rates of overall employee productivity and even overall employee quality of work will also climb. And when employees are happy, they are certainly much more likely to stay with the company in question for longer.

Of course, as any professional job placement agency employee can tell you, the actual hiring process plays a big role in overall successful employee retention rates as well. Unfortunately, poor hires with a poor skills match between new employee and the job position that is being filled are all too commonplace. in fact, more than 35% of all surveyed top executives found this to be the leading problem behind poor employee retention rates, followed only by unclear performance objectives. Fortunately, hiring a professional job placement agency can help to make a world of difference. A professional job placement agency can work with a company to find the right candidates for a role. With the aid of a professional job placement agency, it is far less likely that hires will end in poor employee retention rates, thanks to the fact that the employees at a professional job placement agency will work to screen candidates and ensure that they are a good fit for a role. A professional job placement agency can even make it more possible for places of work to refine their hiring process, something that many a company is certainly sorely in need of.

From employee recognition programs to the implementation and hiring of a professional job placement agency, there are many ways in which companies and places of work can fix their rates of employee retention. Taking the time to do so is certainly something that will go a long way.