The Employee Lifecycle

Every employee is on a journey, and as a manager, your job is to understand where they are on that journey and what they need from you at each stage.

It’s what we call the employee life cycle, and when you get it right, everything becomes easier - from onboarding and development to retention and offboarding.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each stage and why it matters:

1. Pre-employment

This is everything that happens before someone sets foot in your company. It’s the job specification, the contract, the interview process, the payroll setup, the onboarding plan.

This stuff makes up all of the foundations you need in place to give someone a great first impression - and if you get this part right, you'll build trust early. Get it wrong and you’re starting on the back foot.

2. The first three months

This is where the real work begins. You’re setting expectations, building confidence and integrating them into the team.

This stage is about goal-setting, feedback, training and alignment - done well, it creates momentum. Done badly, it leaves people confused, disconnected or overwhelmed.

3. Employment

This is the longest and most active part of the cycle, and it splits into two key areas:

Development: Think growth plans, regular feedback, progression and performance reviews.

Retention: Think flexibility, wellbeing, benefits, holidays, engagement and everything that keeps people energised and supported.

Too many managers focus only on performance but forget about the conditions that enable performance.

4. End of employment

Most people ignore this stage or treat it like admin, but it’s one of the most valuable parts of the cycle. Though properly conducted exit interviews and role reviews you can learn what’s working and what needs fixing.

Final thoughts

Managing people well isn’t about being reactive. It’s about recognising patterns. When you understand where someone is in their employee life cycle, you can support them better, lead more effectively and create the kind of culture where people thrive.