Relocation and the Experience: The Retention Strategy Healthcare Can’t Afford to Miss

Healthcare turnover continues to challenge hospitals nationwide, and while turnover hovers around more than 20% and many organizations are replacing the equivalent of their full workforce every 5 years, retention has become strategically imperative.

A focus on retention shouldn’t wait – it should start at the beginning of the hiring and onboarding process including relocation.

When professionals do explore new roles, they prioritize:

• Competitive compensation (salary, benefits, bonuses, relocation support)
• Work-life balance (flexibility, PTO, manageable schedules)
• A genuinely caring workplace culture
• And, a positive recruitment and onboarding experience

The Overlooked Retention Driver: Onboarding

Even when employers address pay and culture, one powerful lever is often underestimated: onboarding.

Research shows early experiences shape long-term outcomes:

• Glassdoor found strong onboarding programs improve retention by 82%.
• Gallup reports only 12% of employees believe their organization onboards effectively.
• SHRM found that up to 20% of turnover happens in the first 45 days.
  
• UC Davis Health achieved 94% nurse retention after implementing a relationship-focused onboarding initiative.

The message is clear: onboarding is not a compliance checklist, but rather it’s a strategic recruitment and retention tool.

This is where UrbanBound comes in. By integrating relocation support with onboarding, UrbanBound helps new hires, especially those moving across cities or states, feel connected, informed, and confident from day one. The platform consolidates local resources, provides coworker insights, and delivers a guided onboarding experience that reduces stress and accelerates belonging.

How does your organization stack up? Check out UrbanBound’s relocation experience checklist.

Ways to Strengthen Onboarding

To build belonging and commitment from the start:

1. Begin before Day One. Share a clear onboarding plan immediately after offer acceptance.
2. Centralize key information. Provide accessible resources about the organization and local community.
3. Assign a mentor or peer service. Social connection accelerates engagement and confidence.
4. Create a welcoming first day. Focus on introductions and culture and help aid the process of relocation with smarter, tech-enabled services.
5. Lead with visible care. Early recognition and manager engagement foster emotional commitment.

This is especially important for relocating hires, who are navigating both a new role and a new community. Integrated onboarding and relocation support can significantly accelerate their sense of belonging.

UrbanBound helps incoming employees feel supported, from the first impression to the first onsite interview and through each step of relocation journey. Learn more about how UrbanBound helps organizations enhance their recruiting and relocation programs.