How to Prepare Your Recruitment and Onboarding Strategy for 2026:
Make Next Year Your Best Yet for Retention
By C&C Search - London’s leading boutique EA, PA and Business Support recruitment experts
As we move into 2026, the hiring landscape is shifting faster than ever. Businesses are scaling with greater ambition, employees are seeking purpose and progression and retention has become one of the most critical metrics of organisational success. With 1 in 3 new hires leaving within 12 months and replacement costs reaching 50-200% of salary, a strong recruitment and onboarding strategy is no longer optional - it’s your competitive advantage.
At C&C Search, working with thousands of EA, PA, HR, People & Talent and Business Support professionals across London, we see exactly what drives long-term success. The organisations thriving today are those prioritising clarity, culture, leadership behaviours and continuous development from the moment a candidate first engages with them. Preparing now for 2026 is how you build teams that last.
1. Start with culture-first, clarity-driven recruitment
Great retention begins before someone joins your business. Candidates today, particularly in competitive markets like financial services, private equity, professional services and creative industries, want alignment with values, leadership style and purpose. Clear job descriptions, defined expectations and transparent interview processes reduce dropouts and ensure you're hiring people who will thrive long term.
For roles like Executive Assistants, Private PAs, Front of House, Operations and HR Business Partners, clarity around responsibilities, progression pathways and communication preferences is crucial. Our clients who hire most successfully are those who treat recruitment as brand-building: every touchpoint reflects their culture.
2. Build an onboarding journey that lasts 6-12 months, not 6 days
Most onboarding ends within a week but the companies with the highest retention stretch onboarding across a full year. At our recent HR Roundtable, People Leaders agreed that onboarding should include cultural immersion, network building, visibility, structured check-ins and early opportunities to contribute.
We recommend using a structured framework such as the Manager Onboarding Conversation Guide(Weeks 1, 4, 8 and 12), ensuring new hires feel seen, supported and connected. This is particularly important for EAs and PAs working closely with leadership, HR professionals influencing culture and Front of House teams who represent your brand daily.
3. Enable managers - they are the make-or-break factor in retention
A consistent theme from our client insights: middle managers don’t always have the training needed to lead, communicate and onboard effectively. Yet they are the number one driver of engagement and one of the biggest predictors of early attrition.
Providing simple onboarding toolkits, coaching conversations and structured expectations for the first 90 days dramatically improves retention. Leaders with high EQ deliver up to 25% stronger team performance and the same applies to the assistants who support them. Training your managers is training your culture.
4. Invest in learning, development and long-term career growth
Retention skyrockets when employees can see their future with you. Whether it's EAs who want career progression, HR professionals seeking strategic influence or Business Support teams developing commercial acumen, development is a differentiator.
At C&C Search, every candidate placed through us receives 12 months of complimentary access to C&C Academy, our award-winning learning platform offering CPD-certified training, confidence workshops, communication courses and career development support. Ensuring new hires feel invested in from day one is one of the strongest cultural signals you can send.
5. Treat recruitment & onboarding as one connected retention strategy
The businesses winning the talent race in London understand this: recruitment, onboarding and retention are not separate functions. They are one ecosystem that shapes performance. When your hiring process is values-led, your onboarding journey is structured, your managers are supported and your employees’ growth is nurtured, retention becomes the natural outcome.
Preparing your strategy now means your business enters 2026 with clarity, confidence and a people-first approach. And with competition for exceptional EA, PA and Business Support talent higher than ever, the time to strengthen your foundations is now.
Ready to build a high-retention workforce in 2026?
At C&C Search, we specialise in helping organisations hire, develop and retain outstanding talent across EA, PA, HR, People & Talent and Business Support roles.
Get in touch to discuss your 2026 recruitment goals or request our Onboarding & Retention Guide.
Or book a call with our team to explore how C&C Search and C&C Academy can support your growth next year.
Email hello@candcsearch.co.uk
