The Revolving Door Dilemma
A hiring manager at a Charleston tech company recently sat at a coffee shop in Mt. Pleasant, looking more than just tired. It was the specific exhaustion that comes from a team in constant flux. “We are using staffing agencies,” she admitted. “We are getting people in the door, but they keep leaving. What is the point if nobody stays?”
For many businesses in the Lowcountry, this frustration is a common reality. When a company pays for professional recruitment help but remains stuck in a cycle of turnover, it is often because they are treating employment agency services in South Carolina like a fire extinguisher—something to be used only during an emergency. To achieve long-term stability, the relationship must shift from a transactional vendor model to a strategic partnership.
Why Retention Often Fails at the Starting Line
Most retention issues blamed on “bad candidates” are actually alignment problems. If the job looks one way on paper but functions differently in reality, the new hire will likely depart within the first 90 days. A staffing partner cannot fix what they do not know. To improve outcomes, companies must move beyond the basic job description and focus on the “retention profile.”
6 Strategic Moves to Improve Candidate Retention
1. Practice Brutal Honesty About the Role
When working with staffing partners, provide the real story. What is the most difficult aspect of the position? What surprised the last person who held the role? By sharing these insights, recruiters can find candidates who are prepared for the reality of the work, rather than those who are simply sold on a “dream” version.
2. Build a “Retention Profile”
A job description lists tasks; a retention profile lists who actually stays. Collaborate with your partner to identify the backgrounds that thrive in your environment—whether that is ex-military discipline or the high-velocity experience of the hospitality industry.
3. Share Real-Time Performance Data
Good agencies thrive on feedback. Once a quarter, companies should share a snapshot of which agency hires are thriving and who has departed. Identifying patterns—such as high turnover among employees with long commutes—allows the recruiter to tighten their search criteria immediately.
4. Integrate Partners into Onboarding
Retention begins the moment a recruiter contacts a candidate. Invite your recruiter to see your orientation process or share your first-week checklist. This ensures the “pitch” matches the “product.” Furthermore, having the recruiter check in with the hire at Day 3, 14, and 30 can help catch and fix small misunderstandings before they lead to a resignation.
5. Clarify the Path to Permanent
No staffing partner can rescue a role that lacks a future. For technical talent or sales professionals in Charleston, the question is always: “Where does this lead?” Provide your recruiter with a clear story of how a contractor can move to a permanent role and what the salary trajectory looks like for year two.
6. Measure Success by Retention, Not Just Speed
If an agency is graded solely on “time-to-fill,” they are incentivized to move fast, not necessarily to find a long-term match. Discussing 90-day retention targets or bonus structures tied to employee longevity changes the behavior of both the recruiter and the hiring manager.
Success in Action: The Shift at Palmetto Precision
A manufacturing company near Spartanburg—let’s refer to them as “Palmetto Precision”—was experiencing a 50% turnover rate within the first 60 days. Instead of switching agencies, they deepened their relationship with their primary partner. They began being transparent about the hot, repetitive nature of the work, created a profile focusing on candidates from high-intensity backgrounds like food service, and held monthly “stay/leave” reviews.
Within six months, their 60-day retention rate jumped from 50% to over 75%. While this may be not an actual event, it characterizes the value of a professional recruiting partner.
The Part No One Talks About
Most reputable recruiters actually dislike “backfilling” the same role repeatedly; it damages their reputation and frustrates their talent pool. Often, the barrier isn’t a lack of care, but a lack of invitation. When a company invites their partner into a real conversation about retention, the results change almost immediately.
As the premier recruitment partner in the region, Dunhill Staffing Systems is dedicated to building workforce stability, not just filling seats. If you are ready to stop the revolving door, visit Dunhill’s Job Portal to see how we vet talent for longevity. For more insights on workforce management, you can consult the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
