A noted consultant suggests that retention starts with the right hire, and builds by adding feedback, care and trust. But what does the right hire start with?
Yesterday’s Daily Advisor began a discussion of the issue of retention, a topic that, by all measures of our readers, is one of your prime concerns. One business leader who recently addressed that concern is Daisy Saunders, founder of the consulting firm, Big Eyes International.
Saunders has developed 9 tips for retaining your best workers. We gave you the first yesterday … start by hiring smart. That, she writes on the BLR website, Compensation.BLR.com, means asking first “What skills and traits are necessary … to fulfill the duties described in the job description,” then finding someone to match. “Employee turnover can be reduced substantially,” says Saunders, “by hiring the right person for the right job at the right time.”
More than 500 legally reviewed, ADA-compliant, job descriptions for less than 60 cents each! That’s BLR’s Job Descriptions Encyclopedia. Try it free. Click for more info.
Once that person is on the job, Saunders recommends the following:
–Clarify expectations. Giving employees a clear understanding of their job and what standards they’re expected to meet both “expedites time and avoids conflicts,” says Saunders. Less conflict means a happier employee, more likely to stay.
–Know your workers. Learn their hobbies and interests, and especially long-term goals. “This will help you better meet their needs and show that you care,” writes Saunders.
–Give feedback. Constantly tell employees how they’re doing and that you want them to stay, advises Saunders. “It’s one thing to love your job,” she declares, “but it’s even better to know your job loves you back.”
–Create a team culture where all team members support each other. People will often go the extra mile … or stay extra years … for the team.
–Educate and train. Employees who see that you are making an investment in them feel more valued and appreciated.
–Offer incentives and rewards. “This creates a happy and charged work environment,” says Saunders, “and shows an even greater sense of appreciation.”
–Empower employees. Let them make decisions as much as possible. “Empowering employees sends a message to employees that you trust them.”
–Evaluate regularly. Saunders suggests the “sandwich technique.” Start with praise, then discuss challenges and jointly develop a plan to overcome them. Finally, close on a positive note. Saunders emphasizes the role of your managers in all of this. “People are likely to stay if they like and respect their leaders,” she explains.
The Key Role of the Job Description
But it’s also important to re-emphasize Saunders’ belief that all of this starts with hiring right. As she says, that depends on the job description, because it both defines what your candidate should be like and then, once on the job, documents your expectations and performance standards.
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That makes it vital that the job description be right … clearly written and, these days, legally reviewed, especially for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). One way to do this without turning description-writing into a second career is with a solid, prewritten jobs description program.
We’d like to mention our own … BLR’s Job Descriptions Encyclopedia. Including more than 500 ADA-compliant descriptions, “from receptionist to president,” the program has been perfected over more than two decades. More important, it’s updated quarterly, at no additional cost, so even if jobs change or new kinds of jobs develop, you may never have to write a description from scratch again.
Furthermore, you can examine it in your own office for up to a month at no cost or risk. (We pay the cost of return shipping should you decide it’s not right for you.)
Put in Daisy Saunders’ terms, well-written descriptions, leading to good hires, leading to loyal, long-term employees, create the first step toward building retention by hiring “the right person for the right job at the right time.”
Good Hires Start With Good Job Descriptions
We’ve got more than 500 of them, already written and ready for you to modify or use as is. All ADA-compliant and legally reviewed. They’re in BLR’s time-honored Job Descriptions Encyclopedia. Try it free for 30 days. Click for info.