7 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your AI Talent Before They Even Start

You signed the offer. They accepted. Success, right?

Not yet.

Hiring elite AI talent is only half the battle. The other half is making sure they stay and thrive. That part breaks down more often than most companies admit. And not because of bad intentions, but because of unseen gaps in readiness.

Here are seven of the most common ways companies lose their talent before the real work even begins — and how to stop it.

Leaving Relocation Until the Last Minute
Moving isn’t a footnote — it’s the first real test of trust. When relocation is rushed, talent shows up stressed, distracted, and already questioning how much you value their time.

Fix: Build the move into your hiring timeline. Don’t bolt it on after the fact.
Skipping Immigration Support
AI engineers are global. Their paperwork isn’t simple. One delay (or one missed step) can stall onboarding by weeks or even kill the move entirely.

Fix: Make immigration planning part of the offer process, not a post-acceptance scramble.
Underestimating Cost of Living
That six-figure salary might look great until your hire realizes the rent is double what they expected. Now they’re considering next steps before they even start.

Fix: Offer detailed cost-of-living insights and personalized guidance early, before sticker shock sets in.
Overlooking Family Needs
If a partner can’t find a job, or a child can’t get into school, or a spouse feels isolated, the move won’t be successful. And neither will your hire.

Fix: Support the whole household. Because happy families = stable employees.
Creating Chaotic First Weeks
If your new hire is juggling HR forms, jet lag, and housing logistics while trying to ramp up, burnout starts before productivity does.

Fix: Build breathing room into onboarding. Let them land before you ask them to sprint.
Assuming “They’ll Figure It Out”
They won’t. Or if they do, it will cost them energy they should be spending on work, not survival.

Fix: Proactive support beats reactive damage control. Assign a relocation lead. Create clarity.
Forgetting the Follow-Up
You don’t know how the relocation went unless you ask. And if you wait until the first performance review, it’s already too late.

Fix: Schedule structured check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days. Ask better questions. Act on what you hear.