To get the most out of their workers there are a few simple steps employers can make when taking on new recruits, it has been claimed.
According to Don Sull, who discussed the issue on his Financial Times blog, employee productivity levels can deteriorate if they get a new job.
To make sure that workers continue to perform at a high level, he firstly suggests carefully screening applicants so that companies hire the people who will best fit in with the environment.
Mr Sull also advises against overpaying new recruits, as it is easy to establish a fair wage when there are many candidates all after the same position.
He added: "A downturn creates a buyer's market for resources, including high-performing employees."
Another way to improve employee productivity is through the use of simple yet efficient reward schemes, Jon Terry, a partner and head of reward at PricewaterhouseCoopers told Human Resources magazine recently.