Commonalities in Companies Where New Hires Quit Despite Higher Starting Salaries: Preparation Starts with Organizing Work

According to a 2026 survey by Teikoku Databank, 67.5% of companies have raised starting salaries for new graduates. The average increase was 9,462 yen, and the number of companies offering a starting salary of 250,000 to 300,000 yen has risen to nearly 20% (Source: Teikoku Databank, "2026 Survey on Corporate Trends Regarding Starting Salaries").

However, it is not as simple as saying that raising starting salaries will ensure new employees stay. With less than two weeks left until the April hiring season, there is data that business owners who think "everything is fine because we raised salaries" should know.

New hires quitting within six months occur in "more than half of companies"

In a 2025 survey on "early turnover" conducted by en-japan (targeting 291 companies that had hired new employees within the last three years), shocking figures were revealed.

[Data on Early Turnover in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises]

・57% of companies experienced "early turnover within six months" in the last three years
・The number one reason for early turnover is "mismatch in job content" (57%)
・46% of companies with 49 or fewer employees also experienced early turnover
・Source: en-japan, "Survey on Early Turnover," 2025

What I would like you to focus on here is that the number one reason for leaving is not "dissatisfaction with salary," but "mismatch in job content."

"It wasn't the job I expected"—behind the new hires who quit with these words, there is actually a problem on the receiving side. The content and scope of the work are ambiguous, and they don't know what they should be doing or to what extent. The senior staff who are supposed to teach them are too busy with their own work. Furthermore, there are no operational manuals in the first place.

According to a press release by LUF Co., Ltd., the retention of new employees is largely determined within the "first 90 days after joining" (Source: LUF Co., Ltd., PR TIMES). In other words, the experiences a new hire has between joining in April and July will significantly influence their subsequent retention.

The counterintuitive idea of "having new hires create manuals"

"We don't have the capacity to create manuals"—this is a phrase often heard from owners of small and medium-sized enterprises.

LRM Corporation, an IT security company (with about 60 employees), solved this problem in a unique way. They adopted an approach where, instead of senior staff creating the manuals, "the new employees themselves create them" (Source: Teachme Biz, "Explaining the 4 Steps for Accepting New Employees").

New employees write manuals in their own words while being taught the work. This method has three benefits.

・For new employees: By not just "being taught" but also "summarizing," their understanding of the work deepens significantly
・For senior staff: The burden of teaching everything from A to Z is reduced, allowing them to secure time for their own work
・For the company as a whole: "Points where beginners stumble," which veterans might not notice, become visible

Additionally, the "Collection of Success Stories on Recruitment and Retention of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Active in the Region," published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, introduces cases of companies that introduced 3 to 5-day trial employment. By having candidates experience the actual work before joining, mismatches after hiring were significantly reduced, and the turnover rate dropped by approximately 10% (Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Collection of Success Stories on Recruitment and Retention of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Active in the Region").

What these success stories have in common is that "they make the content of the work visible even to new hires."

The perspective that "preparation for acceptance = inventorying work"

Here, I would like to ask all business owners a question.

"Can you explain your current work to a new hire joining tomorrow?"

If you struggle to answer, it may not be a problem with the new hire, but a sign that the work has not been organized.

When people think of preparing to welcome new employees, many think of setting up desks, configuring PCs, and planning welcome parties. While those are certainly important, I believe the truly necessary preparation is clarifying 'what you want this person to do.'

Specifically, the turning point is whether you can articulate the following three things:

・'Why' this task is being done (sharing the purpose)
・'How far' you want them to be able to do it (the goal after 3 months)
・'Who to ask' when they are in trouble (clarifying the support system)

If you welcome a new hire while these three things remain vague, a negative chain reaction begins: 'I don't know what to do' -> 'They look busy, so I can't ask' -> 'Maybe this isn't for me.' Conversely, if these three things are organized, new hires understand their roles, accumulate small successes, and find their place in the company.

Summary: Before raising starting salaries, organize the 'content of the work'

The April hiring season is just around the corner. While it is important to focus on raising starting salaries, that alone will not keep new hires from leaving.

I believe the biggest reason new employees quit early is not the 'mismatch of job content' itself, but rather that the 'job content is not organized.' If tasks are visualized, new hires can understand their roles. They can feel a sense of growth. And they can find reasons to stay with the company.

Two weeks until April. There are things you can do even now. First, try writing down the 'tasks you want to entrust to the new hire' on a single sheet of paper. The task name, purpose, how to do it, and who to consult—just this alone should change the landscape of your preparation.

ShakeHands LLC

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