Successful organizations rely on top-quality employees to meet sales goals and other business requirements. A recent Talent Management and Rewards study shows that 41% of reporting businesses have trouble retaining good employees, and if you aren’t following the best hiring practices, or considering aspects other than experience and skills, your organization may be facing similar issues. The following tips for finding and retaining good employees will ensure that your next new hires are the best options available to help your company grow.
Develop Detailed Job Descriptions
An in-depth job description is the first step in hiring quality employees. Each position should list the requirements, detailed skills and the experience needed to fulfill the position. Each time a position opens, make sure the description is updated, and explains exactly what you are looking for in a future employee – including the personality traits that best fit within your organization.
Create Top-Performer Profiles
There are employees in your organization that consistently produce great results, just as there are those who don’t. Create profiles of your best employees, including any attributes and skills these individuals have that lower-performing employees seem to lack. Make sure to include personality traits, communication abilities and other relevant information. When it is time to fill a position, look for candidates who match the profiles to ensure you are considering the best applicants for the job.
Develop Screening Questions
Each position for which you are hiring should have screening questions for telephone interviews. Today’s technology means you will likely receive considerably more resumes than expected, but many of them will not match your requirements. After weeding through candidates and pulling out the ones who closely match your skill sets and performance profiles, you should conduct phone screenings. These screenings will help you determine which candidates have the most potential in your organization. Your screening questions should include relevant information for the position, as well as any additional traits which you believe will ensure the employee is a good fit for your company.
Use Assessments
Assessments are vital tools in finding and retaining good employees. These tests help determine the cognitive reasoning abilities and core personality traits of a potential candidate, as well as his or her openness to change, emotional stability and the like. The results of the assessments should be compared to your profiles to ensure you are considering candidates who have the right attributes for the position. For example, a good candidate for a sales position should be extroverted and high emotionally stability.
The results of your profiles, screening questions and assessments will help you determine which candidates you should interview for the position. By utilizing these tools, you will also ensure you are only interviewing those who are most likely to fit within your organization’s goals and requirements.
Retaining Employees
Once you’ve filled your open positions with the best employees available, your next goal is to ensure they remain with your company. These tips are some of the best retention practices.
Create an Inviting Environment
Good employees are more likely to remain with an organization that fosters career improvement, rather than one that pays well. Provide opportunities for furthering education and career growth, and encourage your employees to take advantage of them.
Provide Fair Incentives
Many organizations provide bonuses and other incentives, but the key to using them to retain good employees is to use them appropriately. Make sure high performers are receiving what they deserve, and low performers are not compensated in the same way. This shows your appreciation for hard work, and entices others to work harder to achieve them.
Hiring and retaining good employees is possible with the right processes in place. Following these tips will help your organization find great employees, and keep those who are currently helping your business reach its goals.
Reference: http://www.towerswatson.com/en/Insights/IC-Types/Survey-Research-Results/2013/12/2013-2014-talent-management-and-rewards-study-north-america