You can’t argue with facts.
According to HireRight’s 2013 Employment Screening Benchmarking Report:
52 percent of employers surveyed
cited finding, retaining and developing quality talent
as their biggest business issue.
We’ve known for some time that the recruiting pendulum has already swung in many industries. As competition for great talent continues to intensify, how will your company address the talent challenges ahead?
Becoming an “employer of choice” – a company that offers the culture, work environment and development opportunities high performers want – is one of the best ways to attract and retain high performers. Use these tips from A.R. Mazzotta to make your company irresistible to top talent and keep your best employees working for you:
- Recognize exceptional performance. Develop a formal plan to recognize both team and individual accomplishments in your organization. Make your program consistent, timely and in-line with your company’s ideals.
- Focus on the big picture. Meet regularly with each key employee to create a clear, long-term career path. Discuss where he is now, where he’d like to be, and how you can help him get there. Work together to develop a three- to five-year career plan, and then provide the mentoring, educational and other professional development opportunities he needs to achieve those goals.
- Build a better corporate culture. Conduct a brainstorming session to critically examine your work environment and identify opportunities for improvement. Ask employees for ideas on how to enhance teamwork, autonomy, flexibility and work/life balance. Once you know what’s important to employees, assign them responsibility for implementing the culture changes that make sense for your organization. People are more likely to stay working in a culture that reflects their own preferences and priorities.
- Provide the challenge high performers crave. Your best people naturally crave challenge – and if you don’t provide it, they may seek it with a competitor. Nurture top talent by assigning them responsibilities that broaden their knowledge base and make them more versatile. The more these employees feel they are making a real difference within your organization, the more engaged and loyal they’ll be. As an added benefit, cross-training helps you protect against knowledge loss and benefits your succession-planning efforts.
- Keep your door – and your ears – open. Your most talented professionals have lots of great ideas. Do they have a mechanism for sharing them? Encourage your staff to come to you with their suggestions. Keep an open mind and listen to what they have to say – then implement their best ideas! Make your company one that leverages the intelligence and insights of its natural innovators.
- Offer a competitive salary and benefits package. Money isn’t everything, but it is important. To truly become a best place to work, you should offer a comprehensive and competitive compensation package that reflects the value you place on your most important asset – your people.
Once you’ve implemented the steps needed to become an employer of choice, your best employees will become advocates for your organization. Over time, your reputation as a great place to work will grow, and recruiting high performers will become easier.
Still, finding the best will likely remain a big challenge for some time. When you need help, give A.R. Mazzotta a call. As a top CT recruiting and employment agency, we have the experience, resources and talent network to deliver high performers who will thrive in your organization.