One of the best aspects of my job is that I am asked to
\nspeak before audiences of diverse sizes and industries on topics relating to
\npeople management. For many years, and to
\nthis day, I am asked to speak about how to hire top talent. For quite a while, millennials in the
\nworkplace was a hot topic. Last year,
\nthe subject of how to avoid and address sexual harassment in the workplace was
\na major theme. This year, the subject
\neveryone wants to talk about is how to attract and retain employees. So this month I\u2019m going to give you five cool
\nideas for doing just that.<\/p>\n
But before I do, I want to offer one of the best resources
\nthat I know of for improving employee engagement. It comes from the Gallup Organization. For more than 30 years, Gallup has studied
\nthe key elements that highly-engaged employees say are most important to them
\nat work. This resulted in the Q12 index
\n\u2013 the 12 elements of a job that are tied most closely to engagement and business
\nperformance. These elements are listed
\nbelow in order of importance, with the first being the most important element:<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01. I know what\u2019s expected of me at work.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a02. I have the materials and equipment I need to do
\nmy work right.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a03. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do
\nbest every day.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a04. In the last 7 days, I have received recognition
\nor praise for doing good work.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a05. My supervisor or someone at work seems to care
\nabout me as a person.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a06. There is someone at work who encourages my
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a07. At work, my opinions seem to count.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a08. The mission or purpose of my organization makes
\nme feel my job is important.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a09. My associates or fellow employees are committed
\nto doing good quality work.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a010. I have a best friend at work.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a011. In the last 6 months, someone at work has talked
\nto me about my progress.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a012. This last year, I have had opportunities to
\nlearn and grow.<\/p>\n
What I love about this list is what\u2019s not on the list:
\npay. Bottom line \u2013 compensation does not
\nimprove employee engagement. What is<\/i>
\non this list are factors that, with the expense of just time and effort from
\nleadership, can truly transform a corporate culture. If you focus on communicating expectations
\nand direction, celebrating relationships, providing opportunities for growth,
\nand listening and providing feedback, employees will be engaged. Spend some time with this list. What could you do better?<\/p>\n
But what about those potential employees who you are trying
\nto entice to join your company? Here are
\nsome ideas on how to attract them:<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01. Ask your
\nemployees what matters most to them.<\/b>
\nYou already have amazing employees.
\nWhat do they love most about their jobs?
\nIs it the autonomy? Is it the delish food you put out in the lunch
\nroom? Is it the wonderful clients you
\nhave? Promote what makes yours a great
\ncompany and get your employees engaged in recruiting more talent just like
\nthem. And if you offer an employee referral program (and you should), make it
\nmeaningful. By that I mean $500 to $1000
\nif the hire lasts a year. Buy swag \u2013 promote your employees and candidates like
\na university promotes prospective students \u2013 give them the mug and the hat and
\nthe t-shirt. Make them feel a part of
\nthe team before you\u2019ve even hired them!<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a02. Help your
\ntalent alleviate their debt.<\/b> Whether
\nit\u2019s an entry-level blue-collar worker or a recent grad with an MBA, young
\nworkers today are saddled with incredible debt, either in the form of credit
\ncard debt or student loans. They also
\nquestion whether Social Security will be there for them when it\u2019s their time to
\nretire. Offer to help pay for their debt
\nonce they meet certain milestones such as length of service or performance
\nlevel. You may even be able to offer a little less in salary for that huge
\npiece of mind. There are companies to
\nhelp you structure the benefit such as Tuition.io, Futurefuel.io, and Vault. And if you offer a retirement plan, teach your
\nyoung workers about it and the massive benefits of compound interest. Chances are, they may not know how it works.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a03. Offer
\nflexibility.<\/b> Study after study show
\nthat employees truly value the ability to work from home on occasion and most
\nwould like to be able to do so one day a week.
\nOffer this as a perk. For your service workers such as car wash
\ntechnicians and cleaning staff, sometimes life happens. A child gets sick or a family emergency
\narises. Workers facing these situations
\noften become a no-call, no-show because they know there are no benefits
\nallowing them to take time to take care of what\u2019s happening in their life. Reach out to them. Let them know you understand and that if
\ntheir situation changes, you would like to have them back.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a04. Remember
\nthe Dream Manager.<\/b> In his wonderful book entitled, The Dream Manager<\/i>, Matthew Kelly describes a real-life situation
\nwhere a janitorial company dramatically reduced the turnover of its cleaning
\ncrew simply by hiring someone to listen to the dreams of employees and helping
\nthem develop a strategy to make those dreams a reality. The act of listening is a powerful tool that
\ncan truly transform lives and your corporate culture. Ask your prospective employees what their
\ndreams are and help them to achieve those dreams. They may leave you in the end, but they will appreciate
\nyou forever, and you\u2019ll have no trouble attracting new employees with fresh
\ndreams.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a05. Offer
\nSabbaticals.<\/b> I know, I know. I get grief every time I raise this, but hear
\nme out. What if, after five years of
\nservice, you were offered the opportunity to take some time off, say a month or
\nsix weeks, to do anything you want. To
\ntravel, to study painting, to visit long-lost family, to write that book! You\u2019d
\nstay with that company! With no added
\ncost to you (you\u2019ll still have the same payroll and will only have to realign
\nduties for a period of time), you can create loyalty and memories for a
\nlifetime! Who doesn\u2019t want that?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sorry if you thought I was going to talk about zip lines
\nin the warehouse or baristas in the break room.
\nBut really, when it comes to attracting and retaining employees, it
\nstarts with you. It starts with the Q12
\nand listening to your employees. Today
\ntalent can get any job. Make them want
\nyours. Your commitment to them and their
\ndreams and needs will do just that.<\/p>\n
By Claudia St. John, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President Affinity HR
\nGroup<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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