From Hire to Long-Term Career: How to Create Sustainable Career Paths for Entry-Level Workers

The numbers don’t lie. Your entry-level workforce is walking out the door…and taking your investment with them.

Industry estimates suggest entry-level turnover can hit 30% in the first year. That’s not just an HR headache. It’s a budget drain that ripples through recruitment costs, onboarding expenses, and lost productivity. But here’s the contrarian truth most employers miss: It’s not wages alone causing this exodus. It’s the lack of a future.

When workers can’t see beyond their current role, they’ll find somewhere else where growth is possible.

The ROI of Retention: Why “Hire Once” Beats “Hire Often”

Employee churn is expensive. Turnover costs at a 100-person company with average pay of $50,000 can reach $2.6 million annually. Every departing employee takes with them the time, money, and energy you invested, plus replacement costs that range from half to double their salary.

Smart employers like you flip this equation. They invest in career sustainability and see stronger long-term ROI as a result.

Here’s where the ROI equation is different. Generation’s evidence-based tracking reveals that 79% of our graduates get hired by repeat employers. Companies that recognize the value of investing in proven talent. These employers see 94% of Generation graduates perform equal to or better than other hires, but with dramatically lower turnover rates. 

“Hire once” becomes a cost-saving strategy when you hire people who can and will stay with you over time, who prove their value and seek opportunities to grow instead of hitting dead ends.

Here’s something to think about: Would you rather spend your budget constantly replacing people, or investing in the ones you already have? The math favors retention every time. But numbers alone won’t keep workers from leaving. A visible future will.

Career Pathways Unlock Loyalty

Workers don’t leave jobs. They leave futures they can’t see. Gallup research confirms this psychology: Over half of departing employees report that in the three months before leaving, no manager discussed their future with the organization. The message to employees? We don’t see your potential.

When employees hit a ceiling in their first year, they start looking for exits. But when they see growth potential, mentorship opportunities, and clear paths forward, they dig in. Career ladders create retention that salary bumps alone can’t match.

  Generation’s evidence-based approach shows how this works at scale. Through rigorous tracking of career outcomes across our global network, we’ve documented that 95% of graduates earn above a living wage 2–5 years after program completion. These workers prove their value and seek opportunities to advance. For employers, this means hiring workers with the drive and capability to grow and contribute long-term value, if you provide the opportunities to do so.

This trajectory signals something powerful: workers who are equipped with the right skills and mindset will create their own sustainable career growth when given the opportunity.

Here’s what this means for your business: When you hire high-performing workers and provide pathways for advancement, they invest in making your company successful.

The companies that get this right build pipelines of talent that grow with their business needs. These career ladders become your competitive advantage, especially as the workplace itself transforms beneath your feet.

Future-Proofing in the Age of AI and Automation

Entry-level roles sit in the crosshairs of digital disruption. Automation and AI target these positions first, making them among the most vulnerable to technological change.

Many employers respond with a scrap-and-replace mentality. When roles evolve, they let workers go and hire new ones with updated skills. But this approach bleeds institutional knowledge and breaks continuity.

Generation’s workforce research on AI and midcareer transitions reveals a different path: reskilling builds resilience at scale. Companies that invest in upskilling their existing workforce don’t just adapt to change. They lead it.

Building sustainable careers keeps companies adaptable against disruption. Your entry-level hire today might become your AI specialist tomorrow. If they have the tools to grow.

Workers who feel invested in will invest back. They’ll learn new systems, adapt to changing processes, and help your company navigate whatever comes next.

Related to this topic:
Innovation in Hiring: How Generation’s Model Reduces Risk and Increases Efficiency

You Don’t Have to Build This Alone

Creating sustainable career paths sounds overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you design effective ladders? What skills should you prioritize?

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Generation’s global network spans 17 countries and has supported over 140,000 graduates worldwide. When you partner with Generation, you’re plugging into a proven ecosystem that connects employers across industries and continents.

This positions your company as a leader in workforce development, more than a consumer of labor. You become the employer that others look to as an example of what’s possible.

The Foundation of Your Future Workforce

Here’s the secret growing, long-lasting companies understand. They don’t treat entry-level hiring as disposable. They treat it as the foundation of their future workforce.

Every person brought into your company represents potential. They could become your next team leader, department head, or innovative problem-solver. But only if you hire people with the right skills and mindsets, and create opportunities for them to stay and grow.

Modern companies have two choices. Keep cycling through workers and absorbing the costs of constant turnover. Or invest in sustainable careers that create sustainable businesses.

Join the 22,000+ employers worldwide who’ve already discovered this advantage. Ready to transform your approach to entry-level hiring? Partner with Generation’s global network to design sustainable career paths that turn today’s hires into tomorrow’s leaders.

Ready to transform your approach to entry-level hiring? Partner with Generation to design sustainable career paths that turn today’s hires into tomorrow’s leaders.

The employees you hire today could become your leaders tomorrow — if you build paths for them to stay.

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