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Why Employee Retention is More Important Now Than Ever

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We’ve all been hearing the same thing: we’re in the Post-Pandemic War for Talent. Some have called it the Turnover Tsunami or the Great Resignation. No matter what it’s called, the reality remains the same: businesses are in a talent crisis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 9.2 million job openings in May 2021 – yet there are only 1.2 available workers per job opening, according to the US Chamber of Commerce’s Worker Availability Ratio. Add to that, roughly 48% of Americans are considering a role change, with 53% contemplating changing industries altogether. And roughly 50% of employees say the pandemic has led them to question their current career goals.

All of these numbers are startling. For many employers, their best resource for talent is the talent that’s already on the team, which makes employee retention more important now than ever. But what are employers actively doing to keep them? While managers may say, “fine, let them go,” the reality is it may be extremely difficult to replace them.

The good news is there are actions that can be taken to improve employee retention. It takes some effort, but in the current climate, businesses can’t afford not to.

A first step to winning the “war for talent” is to lose the intention to return to pre-pandemic business. The workforce has drastically changed since March 2020. Organizations that automatically return to what was “status quo” may find themselves receiving pushback from employees who have enjoyed some elements of COVID work life.

The pandemic forced many businesses into a remote work environment. As the duration of the pandemic continued, employees and leaders had mixed feelings about remote work. Some loved it, while others longed to be back in the office. Many felt the biggest casualties of remote work were communication, collaboration, and relationships. Despite claims of increased productivity thanks to fewer interruptions, the impromptu chats and meetings fell off, eliminating the opportunity to communicate casually, collaborate creatively, and build relationships. So, where do employers go from here?

The Great Debate: Office vs. Remote

Employers who never offered remote work may experience struggles and pushback with deciding what the post-pandemic workplace looks like. A recent Korn Ferry survey found that nearly half of workers would turn down work if it mandated an in-person office presence. For employers, it’s important to be intentional in this decision as it can have a direct impact on employee retention and your ability to attract new talent. Just because in-person was the work norm pre-pandemic, does not mean that it’s right for post-pandemic. With the mixed feelings of employees and leaders, employers might consider a hybrid work environment, with some remote time and some in-office time. Many are finding this can serve as a compromise and still be an effective business model. Talk to your employees. What worked, and what didn’t? Employees want to know that their preferences were considered instead of being handed a mandate. Where possible, offer tangible business reasons for the decision.

Strategies to Improve Employee Engagement

Whether employers choose to be in-person, remote, or a hybrid of the two, it’s critical to maintain an engaged workforce. This can be more challenging with a remote or hybrid work arrangement, but it’s no less important.

Engagement starts with strong lines of communication. The need for communication is often overlooked or not seen to be of value, but choosing to remain silent can be to the detriment of the organization. Some key pointers to keep in mind:

  • Share key goals and KPIs with the team, and update status on them regularly. Employers can guide employees’ focus by sharing goals and the progress toward meeting them. All too often, leaders create KPIs and then put them aside until performance review season. By keeping them top of mind and visible, the message is clear: their work is critical to the organizational goals.
  • Help employees see where they fit into meeting those goals and KPIs. Engagement is achieved when employees understand how what they do impacts the organization. Every employee needs to know how their role contributes to the success of the organization. The quality of their work, the timeliness in which it is completed, even their attitudes in doing the work are all critical components to success. The best way to ensure employees care about their work is to help them see how they fit in.
  • Don’t underestimate the value of morning huddles. A morning team huddle can be brief – no more than ten or fifteen minutes – but it sets the tone and expectations for the day. A huddle can celebrate accomplishments of the day before, provide updates on open issues, and establish the focus for the day. The time spent can minimize issues later. The key is to make the most of the time and adopt a structure to keep it concise.
  • Demonstrate transparency. Focus on what is going well and the positive aspects, but don’t gloss over challenges. Honestly communicate issues and concerns and be open to discussing possible solutions. One of the best ways to build engagement is to ask the opinion of those that directly impact the end result.

On an individual basis, set clearly communicated performance expectations, and revisit those often. Managers must provide ongoing feedback to correct and reinforce behaviors. An engaged culture encourages employees to be problem solvers and to take ownership for finding solutions. Use problems and challenges as learning opportunities to demonstrate the troubleshooting thought process to employees. This encourages an environment of constant ongoing learning.

What are your individual employee’s strengths, and how can those be leveraged? This can be a great opportunity to recognize an employee and advance the goals of the business while also impacting employee retention.

Renew Your Focus on Professional Development

Another key contributor to employee engagement is professional development. A recent Bamboo HR survey found that 78% of employers working remotely felt their professional development was negatively affected by COVID, averaging a loss of $9,800 in promotional income. During COVID, many businesses found themselves in survival mode, where professional development was well down in the list of priorities. As we emerge from the pandemic, it is essential that employers return the focus to employee development. If it has lapsed, take the opportunity to restart the conversation with employees – revisit previous career goals. Are these still relevant or do they need to be revised?

Don’t forget that the pandemic work environment may have provided some unique learning opportunities. Are there ways to capitalize on these? A returned focus on professional development shows employees that you are committed to them and their success, and it can contribute to increased employee retention as well.

As the business world looks beyond the pandemic and begins to address the challenges that are being presented, wise leaders will recognize this opportunity to re-evaluate the culture, identify lessons learned, make the most of the talent they already have.

 

Special thanks to Cathleen Snyder, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, for contributing to this edition of our Emerging Issues in HR!

Would you like to find out how engaged your employees are? Strategic HR can help. We will create a custom survey to mirror your work environment and goals for the business, administer the survey as a neutral third party, and summarize the findings with recommendations for improvement. You can learn more on our employee surveys page or contact us now.

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Strategies for Managing Change in Your Organization

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Change – it impacts us at work and in our personal lives. Sometimes it happens suddenly and swiftly where no pre-planning can occur. We find ourselves scrambling to process what’s happened, what it means, and how it will affect us. We are forced to pivot and determine what to do differently so “the change” becomes the “new normal.”  Sometimes change is planned for; individuals and organizations create change to improve something. Whether big or small, planned change is enacted because there is a belief that it will produce a positive outcome.  Unfortunately, all too often, individual reactions to change or the level of effort needed for change to be embraced is underestimated or overlooked altogether.  Managing change can be difficult!

What is Change Management?

According to the Society of Human Resource Management, change management is “the systematic approach and application of knowledge, tools, and resources to deal with change. It involves defining and adopting corporate strategies, structures, procedures, and technologies to handle changes in external conditions and the business environment.”

There are a variety of models for managing change that can be applied when facing a change initiative. Some models focus on an organizational response to change, while others focus on individuals and how people respond and react to change differently. No matter the model you chose to follow, consider these tools and recommendations to smooth anticipated bumps in the road.

Organizational Response to Change

When change occurs within an organization, it’s not unusual for there to be a decline in performance, morale, or overall productivity. Employees tend to enjoy and expect a certain level of status quo. When a major change is introduced, performance drops as individuals react to the change. Even in the best of circumstances, productivity levels aren’t typically perfect right out of the gate. There may be glitches, unforeseen challenges, and learning curves that must be overcome. It takes time for the organization to adapt to the change.

Adaptation Strategies

What can be done to help an organization ‘adapt’ faster?  Research shows that organizations can move from ‘adapting’ to ‘thriving’ quicker if the following occurs:

  • There is regular communication and understanding of the changes occurring and desired outcomes & benefits.
  • Managers are working closely with their teams and aiding throughout the change process.
  • There is a focus on employee training and development; individuals are provided with the tools, knowledge, and materials to operate in the new environment.
  • Individuals are given time to work through the emotional ‘roller-coaster’ that can be part of a major change.

Leadership’s Responsibility When Managing Change

According to a study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership, they identified 9 critical leadership competencies of successful change efforts and change-capable leaders, later divided into “the 3 C’s of Change.”

  • Communicate: including the “why” behind the change, rather than focusing only on “what” is changing, creates stronger buy-in and urgency for the change.
  • Collaboration: leaders can increase their employees’ interest and investment in the change by including them in the decision-making process early on.
  • Commit: Change can be scary but waffling back and forth on change can intimidate and confuse employees even more. By remaining resilient and dedicating themselves to change, leaders found themselves more successful during the adaptation process.

Individual Response to Change

Charlie Baker, former Vice President at Honda R&D Americas, described how individuals experience change is similar to how people experience grieving.  Many are familiar with Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. For anyone who has gone through grief, most will tell you it’s not a linear process. The same concept applies to the change curve, which includes: denial, resistance, commitment, exploration, and commitment. For some, it may be a quick process; for others, they may linger in one stage longer than another. It’s also possible for some to travel backward through the curve if the change isn’t managed well.

Strategies to Move Toward Acceptance

What can be done to help move people to the acceptance stage of change? There are multiple activities to consider:

  • If employees are in the Denial phase, supervisors should be in information mode – providing as much information as possible about the change and communicate a clear business case for why change is occurring. Management needs to “own” the change themselves and reinforce the company’s (or their own) vision for the change.
  • In the Resistance phase, supervisors should be in empathy mode. To help their employees overcome resistance, supervisors need to be active listeners while allowing employees to express their feelings and thoughts and acknowledge/normalize them.
  • In the Exploration phase, supervisors should be in facilitation mode. Employees need to see some specific, concrete changes – particularly those that will affect them. This may include providing new organizational charts, new tools, new metrics, or setting short-term goals to allow employees to practice operating under the changed environment and seeing immediate results & benefits. It’s important for supervisors to provide support and clear direction so employees understand what is expected of them in the future. Training, as needed, is most applicable in this phase since employees are over denial and resistance and can concentrate on learning new things.
  • In the Commitment phase, employees have overcome most of the obstacles and supervisors should begin setting longer-term goals. Employees should continue to be provided with support and encouragement, but supervisors should continue to eliminate barriers and opportunities for learning. It’s important to promote and celebrate the successes that have been achieved, as well as identify and communicate any additional benefits that were not anticipated.

Throughout the change process, supervisors should be doing their best to actively support their employees in potentially difficult times. It’s also important to reinforce the “what’s in it for me” – the benefits of the change for the employees, as well as to the team and organization.

Effectively dealing with change is a critical skill area for all employees at all levels – whether you are an employee who needs to embrace change, a manager who needs to embrace and manage change, or a leader who must embrace, manage, and lead change! Having a better understanding of the challenges and using a variety of strategies to address them can greatly improve your success at managing change in your organization.

Special thanks to Terry Salo, Senior HR Consultant with Strategic HR for contributing to this edition of Emerging Issues in HR.

Now more than ever, managing change in your organization requires a coordinated, strategic approach. Strategic HR can help with your leadership and HR strategy through organizational changes – no matter how big or small. For more information, please visit our HR Strategy page, or simply contact us today!

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Bonus Grants: A Creative Way to Retain and Reward Key Employees

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HR Question:

I’ve been asked to look into how we can use bonus grants as part of our retention strategy. Can you help?

HR Answer:

Changes in the economy – as well as clashing generations in the workforce – have altered the employment landscape. Gone are the days of someone retiring after 40 years with the same company. Job hopping has become the norm, and in the war for talent, top performers are regularly being courted by the competition.

Organizations need to implement new and creative ways to keep their key employees – and keep them happy. While salaries are generally staying level, more employers are focusing on bonuses as a way of rewarding employees. But traditional bonus programs may not be good enough anymore. Enter: The bonus grant.

Bonus grants are different than conventional bonuses in that they are a commitment that the company makes to key employees. Instead of earning raises and/or bonuses that are paid out annually, key employees accrue larger bonuses over a longer period of time. The company also has the option of tailoring the program to the individual employee to provide the most appropriate benefit.

While there are many advantages associated with implementing a bonus grant program, the following are the three most significant:

Retention

Most bonus programs are paid in the year they are earned. While this may immediately inspire feelings of gratitude and loyalty, the effect quickly wears off. With bonus grants, key employees are credited a certain bonus amount each year, but they are not fully vested until a specific date determined by the employer (usually 5-10 years). This is a terrific way to help ensure retention because if an employee leaves the company, they are walking away from the bonus account that was set up for them.

Flexibility

Unlike salary raises that commit employers to funds that they may not be able to spare in the future, bonus grants provide companies the flexibility to determine how much – if any – money is given to a specific employee based on their individual performance, as well as the company’s performance that year. Employers can set a different percentage or flat rate for each employee in the program, and these numbers can vary from year to year at the employer’s discretion.

Simplicity

There are different types of retention tools and tactics in the marketplace, but most are complicated and difficult to understand – for both employers and employees. A bonus grant program can be very straightforward. By keeping it simple, key employees will easily understand the value of the benefit being offered, and the company leadership will understand what they are committing to.

Is a bonus grant program right for your company?

Here are some questions to ask when deciding whether a bonus plan is right for your company:

  • Are you having issues recruiting and retaining key employees, or competing with larger companies for employees at the executive level?
  • Do you wish to provide specialized forms of compensation to key executives or employees in lieu of making them partners or part owners in the business?
  • Is your ability to offer a more robust benefits package to high-performing employees hindered by your business’ lack of free cash flow?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, a bonus grant program is worth exploring.

Thank you to our CSH colleagues, Bill Edwards and Lance Drummond, for contributing to this HR Question of the Week.

There is some strategic planning involved in setting up a bonus grant program, but our skilled colleagues at Clark Schaefer Hackett can help your organization set up and administer one. If you’re looking for a creative way to hold onto your best employees, a bonus grant program may be something that sets your company apart from the competition. For more information, please contact us.

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Systemic Racism: How Can I Fight It?

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HR Question:

The longstanding systemic racism and racial injustice against Black Americans is causing turmoil in my community – with my friends, with my family, and with my coworkers.  What can my organization do to activate solutions to promote progress against systemic racism? How can I be a part of the solution through my workplace during these tough times?

HR Answer:

It is no secret that our nation has been rocked by heartbreak, by demands for change, and protests within our cities. As communities nationwide have processed and protested the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and more, we have seen a swell of companies speaking out against the social injustice that we operate in as a country. While these injustices are rooted as far back as 1619, if not further, we believe there is hope.  Corporate America has the ability to have significant impact on improving and changing our landscape which has been sculpted, in part, by systemic racism. Now, more than ever before, it is the time to be aware of our sphere of influence to expedite action to correct misinformation and systems that do not support inclusion and belonging of Black Americans – and to do so at a faster pace than we have in the past. How do we get started?

In her Ted Talk, “Color Blind or Color Brave”, Mellody Hobson addresses the need to speak openly about race and impresses the importance of diversity in hiring. In fact, she points out that the most successful companies are the ones who make an active effort in recognizing all races, by being color-brave, not color-blind. Inspired by Mellody’s Ted Talk, we have compiled internally- and externally-focused color-brave actions that employers and individuals can take and lead, research, ask about, and/or be involved with for positive change.

Internally:

  • Ensure inclusive leadership with accountability for progress on Diversity & Inclusion efforts. Leadership, management, and HR set the boundaries and example for respect and equity in the workplace.  The first question to ask as leaders: are we having the difficult conversations with employees? Do we need to start having those conversations? And how do we do so? The first step in this may be embracing Crucial Conversations – but if there are only a handful of questions that we can answer, here are a few:
    • Are we creating opportunities or forums for employees to dialogue about pressing social concerns?
    • Are we providing the tools and training to have crucial conversations?
    • Are we listening to everyone’s voice?
    • Do we have the right policies in place?
    • Are we communicating with compassion and focusing on human connection with our team?
  • Create opportunity for self-reflection and development. We all have biases – conscious and unconscious. Provide exercises for self-evaluation and training programs (like cultural competency, unconscious bias, and respectful workplace training) to help determine personal strengths and opportunities. Bravely be willing to dialogue with others about this topic. Some good practical guidelines are: admit vulnerability and that you may say or do something that is contradictory to your intentions; be open to any feedback or comments; seek to understand instead of seeking to be understood; listen in an effort to learn another point of view and withhold judgments; and express respect and professionalism.
  • Evaluate equity in the talent lifecycle. Ensure equal opportunity through measurable targets in talent attraction, talent engagement, and talent development efforts.  Some examples of best practices include creating a network of sources to recruit a diverse candidate pool and have metrics around the “funnel” effectiveness throughout the hiring process; having mentoring and sponsorships for minority talent; creating metrics for retention and promotion of minorities; and ensuring individual development plans are in place and being implemented.
  • Support a culture of openness and belonging with psychological safety. Tackle microaggressions that may exist in the workplace – or maybe define microaggressions in the first place. Have assessments in place to assess and reward each other as you live the standards/values. Create a welcoming environment free of posturing and aggressive competitiveness, where team members are comfortable being who they are and feel valued through a sense of psychological safety.
  • Create ongoing feedback loops through focus groups (i.e. ERG’s or general) and surveys. This provides the ability to stay on track with goals and keep a finger on the pulse of what’s happening internally specifically related to inclusive practices. During emotionally charged times like these, it’s important to connect with team members quickly and create opportunities to share thoughts and feelings as soon as possible and on a regular basis. Then, create action planning and implementation of initiatives/changes.

Externally:

  • Advocate for legislative changes and support political candidates for office that support advancement of pro-minority agendas.
  • Assess Corporate Social Responsibility policies and practices. If none, create them.  Ensure supplier diversity targets are measured and evaluated.
  • Donate to funds and organizations that support the black community and social justice. Examples might include: Chambers, Foundations, United Way, and Minority business start-up ecosystem.
  • Donate time and intellectual capital to support actionable solutions in the community.
  • Create ongoing feedback loops with customers, partnerships, and suppliers to assess needs and experiences with the organization.

By being color-brave rather than color-blind, organizations and corporations can activate and mobilize change in communities, workplaces, and beyond to bring an end to systemic racism.

 

HR Strategy in Diversity & Inclusion will impact the bottom line for your business.  After all, the employee experience, supplier/partner experience, and customer experience impact the bottom line.  It’s more important than ever to optimize your inclusion practices during the global health pandemic and racial turmoil.  Strategic HR receives numerous requests regarding diversity and inclusion strategies.  We can help.  For more information, please visit our HR Strategy pages.

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How to Handle Political Talk During the Work Day

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HR Question:

Since it’s an election year (not to mention one during an unprecedented pandemic), the conversations between my employees are becoming increasingly political. How do I handle this political talk either in the office or with remote workers during office hours?

HR Answer:

It’s natural that conversations amongst team members can quickly turn political – with it being a presidential election year, paired with heightened communication from our local & state leaders due to the pandemic, political topics are at the forefront of many people’s minds! Whether your employees are in your physical office space or communicating during office hours while working remotely, it is likely that politics and the election will become a topic of conversation as employees interact. As these conversations can include polarizing opinions, it is smart for employers to have a strategy for handling political talk at work.

Political discussions in the workplace can have both a positive and negative impact. Political expression in the workplace can contribute to a culture that values diversity of thought and the overall well-being of employees. Friendly political talk can be a team-building skill and a morale-booster, especially when it’s done with compassion and a commitment to respecting differing viewpoints. However, if the political chatter doesn’t come from a place of mutual respect and an interest to learn from different viewpoints, or if it seems to be the only topic of conversation, it can create a negative and unwelcoming atmosphere. If left unaddressed, this could lead to lingering resentment that can affect work relationships and effectiveness. Or worse, some political discussion may lead to hostile comments surrounding gender, race or religious statements that could lead to harassment and discrimination claims.

Should I ban political discussions at work?

It’s probably not realistic to mandate that politics not be discussed at work. Particularly given all that’s going on in our country and the world, it can be hard to avoid the topic – even in a general sense. For example, it’s natural that team members may want to discuss local, state, or federal regulations surrounding social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imagine having to stifle that conversation every time it arose.

Additionally, banning political discussions may be considered discriminatory to some. According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), an employer may not interfere with political speech where there is a “direct nexus between employment-related concerns and the specific issues that are the subject of the advocacy.” The National Council of Nonprofits warns that not-for-profit organizations should be careful to maintain a non-partisan stance when dealing with the election or risk revocation of their tax-exemption status. However, this Business Journals article points out that “private sector employers generally retain the right to maintain a productive and non-hostile working environment.” With all of this in mind, employers can set expectations for behavior that will help to maintain a positive and respectful work environment.

Rather than trying to police every conversation, it may be more beneficial to set expectations for how to have respectful conversations – no matter what the subject. This SHRM article provides great suggestions on how to share political opinions without damaging work relationships. For example, it can be helpful to approach the conversation with an interest in learning from someone’s point of view rather than trying to change their opinion. Recognizing that everyone may not have the skills to do this effectively, consider providing training on how to discuss sensitive subjects and how to approach disagreement in civil and respectful ways.

We recommend that employers provide clear guidelines for how to discuss politics in the workplace and make the policy clear and easily accessible to the employees. This is a prime area to address in your employee handbook.

Ultimately, employers should stress the point that work comes first always. Everyone is still expected to meet their business objectives and to work together in an environment where employees can express themselves in a professional and respectful manner.

Having an employee handbook with policies and procedures that are easy to read and understand can help alleviate a lot of problems in the workplace. Not only do they set the stage for what is deemed inappropriate, but they can also provide guidelines for what is considered acceptable and expected behavior in your organization. Strategic HR can create, review, or augment your employee handbook. For more information, you can Request a Handbook Quote or visit our Employee Relations page to learn how we can help.

 

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Gauging Employee Engagement

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Question:

What is an Employee Engagement Survey and why would I need one?

Answer:

An employee engagement survey measures things like how passionate employees are about their work, how proud they are to tell people where they work, if they believe in the mission of the organization, and if they feel their work is valued and their talents are utilized. It has been shown that engaged employees (those that are absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work – they love their jobs) are more productive and creative on the job. Unfortunately, only about 30% of employees are actually engaged – with another 50% disengaged, meaning they are basically just along for the ride.

But an even more startling statistic shares that approximately 20% of employees are “actively disengaged” – these are employees that often dislike their job and/or employer and may even undermine performance. While disengaged employees just get through their day, adding little to the organization and flying under the radar, actively disengaged employees ‘act out’ their disengagement and lack of job satisfaction with destructive results, decreasing productivity for themselves and others around them. They become a cancer in the organization (aka the bad apple ruining the bunch). A Gallup study estimates that actively disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy half a trillion dollars a year.

So whether you’re trying to improve engagement, or eliminate disengagement, it’s important to know where your organization stands, because you can’t solve a problem you don’t know about and ignoring disengagement is costly.

Typically, employee engagement is measured through an employee engagement survey distributed throughout the organization. The content of employee engagement surveys is different from a regular employee survey because engagement measures much more than just happiness or satisfaction. Engagement survey questions generally ask employees to rate their agreement with statements such as:

  • I would recommend this company to a friend
  • My talents are well utilized
  • I believe in the mission of the organization
  • My work is recognized and valued
  • I have a sense of my career path

Additionally, reporting for employee engagement is sophisticated primarily because managers need to identify engagement issues or successes to pinpoint where they are in the organization. Managers can then drill down into the data, so they can quickly see pockets of high or low engagement. This allows them to discover whether something is pervasive or localized to a specific group and will aid them in fixing problems and creating a stronger and more engaged workforce.

Now that the economy is improving and dissatisfied employees are more apt to change jobs, it may be a good time to measure your employee engagement. An actively disengaged employee can wreak havoc on your high performance employees – negatively impacting their satisfaction and in some cases causing your best employees to leave. Strategic HR has years of experience writing surveys for satisfaction, engagement and performance needs. Visit our Communications page to learn how we can assist you with various communication-based projects.

 

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Employee Engagement…From Beginning to End

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By Patti Dunham, MA, MBA, SPHR and Debbie Hatke, MA, SPHR

Employee engagement; we’ve heard the term before and as HR professionals we know and we preach that “happy” employees are “productive” employees. But do we really understand engagement? Have we really tried to truly get employees engaged? Do we recognize, and act on the knowledge, that engagement starts well before the employee gets their first paycheck? Are we doing all that we can in every encounter we have with employees to make engagement a reality?

It goes without saying that human capital is the most important asset of every company. We have seen in a number of studies that employee engagement improves the bottom line in almost every instance and it is well worth all organizational efforts to actively engage employees. Helping employees understand the company’s direction and strategic goals, and the significance of their role in meeting those goals is essential. For employees to be committed to an organization and give 150%, they have to feel they have a stake in the company’s success. 

Engagement occurs when adequately skilled employees are trained and provided with the appropriate information and tools to make level-appropriate decisions and can lead the organization in the direction of meeting its financial and strategic goals. Sound difficult to take on? It really isn’t. As with all huge projects we must undertake, it is important to break it down into more manageable pieces and success will follow. 

Many programs have been created and implemented to introduce the concept of engagement to our employees, but what most of us have failed to do is to start that engagement well before the hire. Integrating employee engagement in the recruitment process is the best way to begin engagement in our organizations and is essential for long term success. Without the “right” hire for the “right” position, many of our other efforts are lost. Getting it right in the beginning is essential. So how do we accomplish this?

 

Creating and communicating an employment brand to employees.

A well integrated recruitment and selection process will help attract the strongest candidates. Employers who are able to quickly respond to candidates, provide them with feedback and find a way to sort through searchable information for those candidates who are not a match for the current position (but may be a match in a few months) are most successful. The ability to contact candidates quickly, and for them to contact you quickly, will allow you engage top talent and start off on the right foot.

 

Engaging On-boarding.

In a 2007 Watson Wyatt survey, employers who considered themselves as having a highly engaged workplace took an average of 35 weeks to bring a new hire up to speed. This compares with 15 weeks for companies that considered themselves to have lower levels of engagement. Is your organization spending time on the right activities when bringing employees on board? In addition to the typical on-boarding items, consider addressing the following.

  • Explain to the employee WHY they were hired – truly WHY. What is their role and how does it fit in the organization? What do successes and failures look like in the role?
  • Share with the new employee what it was about them that made them “the one”. Why did you choose this candidate? Help them understand what you valued in the individual so they can see what skills they have that can be most useful for the company.
  • Provide the employee with a realistic job preview. No sugar-coating, please. New recruits must know the job as it is so they can consider their own skills, personality, and abilities to take on tasks necessary for success.
  • Express your commitment to learning and development for the employee and the organization. Employees who feel employers are interested in helping them meet their personal goals are more loyal and engaged.

Engaging social networking.

Internal social networks can help your employees feel more connected. Many people use Facebook and Twitter to keep up with friends and colleagues outside of work. An internal network that allows the same type of interaction internally will allow employees to share knowledge, experiences, and interests online – a much more appealing way for some generations to interact, yet still allows employees to be involved and a part of the organization.

Employee engagement is essential and impacts your employees from well before employment all the way to resignation and/or retirement. There is a strong correlation between effective recruitment, on-boarding/integration, and the financial performance and success of a company. When addressed thoroughly, essential talent will be drawn to your company and quickly engaged. And once you reap the rewards you will easily see that engaged employees are well worth the effort.

 

Patti Dunham, MA, MBA, SPHR and Debbie Hatke, MA, SPHR are Senior Human Resources Management Consultants with Strategic Human Resources, Inc. (www.strategicHRinc.com). If you have questions or comments about this article, you can contact Debbie at Debbie@strategicHRinc.com and Patti at Patti@strategicHRinc.com.