Attention employers: There's a pretty good chance you'll lose your newest employees.

A new survey of U.S. workers by staffing firm Robert Half shows 28 percent of professionals would consider quitting a job within the first 90 days.

And the latest statistics from the U.S. Labor Department show more than 3 million workers walked off the job in February.

It's a big heads up for employers who are now scrambling to improve themselves up front in order to retain top talent in today's competitive job market.

Ryan Gatto, Regional Vice President for Robert Half in Saddlebrook, said the survey found four major expectations among new employees for a successful first day on the job.

First and foremost, employees want face time with their managers, he said. Eighty-nine percent say meeting with their managers to clarify expectations is very important.

Many hiring managers take employees to lunch or dinner on the first day. But what the survey found is that only 44 percent say being taken to lunch is necessary for a positive first day.

According to the survey, 83 percent expect formal introductions to colleagues. Getting acquainted to team members and alerting the receptionist that a person is newer to the team is important just to make sure the communication is flowing to that individual as well, Gatto said.

Eighty-one percent say it's crucial to have a new employee's workspace ready to go with proper setups in place. so the employee can get to work immediately and start contributing.

"Setting up the desk with essential supplies and equipment even things such as pens, notebooks and a computer and phone that work and are connected to the network" is a big expectation among new hires on the first day, Gatto said.

Reviewing the essentials on the first day is also very important. That can include a tour of the building, scheduling an orientation and reviewing the employee handbook. Discussing goals with employees is key so the worker knows his or her responsibilities so they can contribute to the company early and often.

If these expectations are not met, Gatto said, new employees know that they can probably get other offers for other environments better suited for them.

"If there's any hiccup when they first join the firm or their expectations and goals just aren't set right out of the gate, it can put them on a path where they believe that maybe this isn't the right job for me," Gatto said.

But employees should also be patient with the process, Gatto said. Instead of quitting after three months, they should give new roles a chance. He advised sticking it out at least six to 12 months and seeing what happens.

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