Attract + Engage + Develop + Recognize = Retain

Jasmine Flowers June 5, 2008

I recently read an article in Workforce Management entitled Top Tips for Keeping Your Top Talent in Place. The article stated that compensation alone is no longer enough to retain top employees. “It’s standard practice for employees to receive benefits, paid vacations and matches to their 401k plan; but now they’re looking for something different—something that really draws them to a company.” To further support this claim a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study found that the average person born in the later years of the Baby Boom held 10 jobs with different employers from age 18 to 38 which today is majority of the workforce. Given that high turnover negatively impacts company leaders, productivity, remaining employees, and the bottom line the article provides tips on how to retain top talent in the workplace. There were a few specific tips that resonated with me as a worker in the 18 to 38 age range. 

The first was the tip to “Be a more active partner in the hiring process.” Basically, communicate, communicate, and communicate. Hiring managers should strive not only to be more open about the position but also about themselves, engage in conversations with candidates that develops a relationship and encourages candidates to do the same. A suggestion from the magazine, that we have consulted our clients to do as well, is to make the hiring process more engaging by providing realistic job previews through quotes from employees, videos depicting a day in life experience, and peer interviews/discussions that promote a more open dialogue about the company. 

The second tip that resonated with me was to “Involve the work teams.” If the position entails working closely with a team or small group of people, include them in the hiring process through group interviews, tours through the department, or even a team luncheon. A method that I have found to be successful is to bring candidates in during a quarterly department/branch meeting. They get to meet several people and experience the culture. This will help make the candidates transition into the team more smooth as “building a bridge between the new hire and the work group early on will help them feel like a part of the team.” This will also help weed out candidates that don’t work well in teams or that don’t seem to be a personality fit for the group.  

“Engaging employees long-term” was the third tip that I thought was valuable and very important for my generation. Candidates need to see the opportunities for growth, development, and challenging work. People do not want to become stagnant in their jobs so make sure that during the hiring process the career-path and ways in which to advance are clearly communicated and promoted. “If you can help them grow, develop, and become better at what they do, they’ll be much more satisfied in their current jobs.” When employees are satisfied more often than not they are going to stay with the company. This heeds great benefits because you retain a workforce that understands the organization and are committed to its success.  

The final tip that I found to be most valuable was to “Make mentoring a priority.” Employees are always looking for a person to show them the ropes. It should be a part of corporate culture for leaders to play an integral role in developing and mentoring employees. The importance of this should be enforced through performance appraisals so that leaders are accountable for their employees’ development. I found this model to be very successful at a Consulting firm that used to work for. Employees were assigned to “counselors” that were Manager level or above who were responsible for aiding in employees setting goals, achieving them, and providing feedback on areas for improvement. Our ratings that we, as employees, received at the end of the year were a direct reflection on the counselors and their commitment to developing employees. 

My last tip that the magazine touched on that I think it worth mentioning is recognition. Just say ‘thank you’ once in a while. Employees appreciate it and it lets them know that they are valued.

Posted in Hodes QTrac, Employer Branding, HR Consulting, Human Resources, Recruiting, Recruiting Consulting, Retention, Workforce Management