How to Make the First 90 Days the Foundation for a Career

Recorded: October 1, 2026

The first few weeks on the job often decide whether a new hire stays. Gen Z employees stay in a job for an average of 1.1 years, and many decide within their first 44 days whether the role is right for them. When onboarding is a day at a computer followed by learning from whoever is working nearby, new hires head to the floor unprepared and are quick to leave.

At the same time, retirements, a shrinking pool of skilled talent, and turnover near 40% in food production are putting more pressure on plants than ever. Every employee who leaves brings replacement costs, more downtime, a higher risk of quality errors, and the loss of knowledge that took years to build.

This Meat Institute session, sponsored by WorkForge, explored how one processor rebuilt onboarding around the first 90 days. Drawing on his team’s experience, the speaker shared how a structured onboarding experience, a job hardening program, dedicated floor trainers, and early career conversations helped cut turnover by 25% and build a more engaged, audit-ready workforce.

Our speaker, Grant Prenzlow, HR Director at Wholestone Prestage, discussed:

• Why the first 90 days set the course for retention and career growth
• How a compliance, competency, and culture approach makes training stick
• How to build the business case for learning and development with leadership

Time: 58 minutes