Recruit & Retain
Recruiting and retaining top talent will ensure your organization continues to thrive. Consider the following ways to strengthen the program you already have in place.
Competitive Intel
Who are you competing with for employees? Use this sample worksheet to keep track of your competition, and stay one step ahead!
Engage in HR Strategic Planning
Focused planning for HR can follow the well-known “SWOT” analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, or any other strategic planning framework you prefer. While your business may have very specific staffing needs, at a minimum, be sure to cover competitive intelligence, benefits audit, and local community growth or changes (for those reliant on a co-located work force).
Employee Benefits
Retention Programs
Retaining great team members is at least as important as finding new ones. Consider using the following programs to keep employees engaged in their careers.
Recruiting Programs
Finding employees will continue to be a challenge. Get people into your facilities to see what it’s all about!
Competitive Intel
Who are you competing with for employees? Use this sample worksheet to keep track of your competition, and stay one step ahead!
Engage in HR Strategic Planning
Focused planning for HR can follow the well-known “SWOT” analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, or any other strategic planning framework you prefer. While your business may have very specific staffing needs, at a minimum, be sure to cover competitive intelligence, benefits audit, and local community growth or changes (for those reliant on a co-located work force).
Employee Benefits
- Examine the opt-in rate for benefits. How many of your team members have signed up for the benefits you offer?
- How well have you communicated the value of your benefits? Consider distributing a personalized compensation statement to each employee. Another alternative is to conspicuously post information about your contribution to employee benefits. Keep it top of mind.
- What other benefits would match your employees’ needs? Consider their age cohort. The best way to find out what benefits people really like or really want is to ask. Consider conducting an employee survey about benefits.
- The 2020 pandemic affected the financial well-being of many individuals and families. Think about whether staff might benefit from a financial counseling service, or investment advising service. Even basic financial skills like budgeting, planning for expenses, and funding an emergency account could be valuable additions to your current benefits plan.
Retention Programs
Retaining great team members is at least as important as finding new ones. Consider using the following programs to keep employees engaged in their careers.
- Mentorship program – Encouraging mentor relationships can make a new job a little easier for new employees to see their place in your organization, and provide a safe space for them to ask questions to someone other than their immediate supervisor. Mentors can also work for existing employees who are interested in moving up, or into a different area of your company.
- Referral incentives – Offer team members incentives for recruiting employees, and be sure to publicly announce an award the incentive. It becomes a constant reminder to others that bringing in new people is important, and is rewarded.
- Cross training programs – Allowing employees the opportunity to try out different roles is one way to help them find what truly motivates them on the job.
Recruiting Programs
Finding employees will continue to be a challenge. Get people into your facilities to see what it’s all about!
- Host a job fair for your community – Make a day or half-day of activities and tours so your community can see what you really do. Be ready to interview and make offers on the spot.
- Participate in job fairs sponsored by workforce development organizations – If CareerSource, or a nearby technical college is hosting a fair, show up with an employee or two who actually know the job you are hiring for. Those looking for jobs want to connect with someone who can talk about job specifics, not just general information about the company.
- Connect with a local high school or technical college – Make yourself available to speak with students, and consider hosting a field trip to your business. Let students see for themselves what you have to offer. If possible, include their parents, too. The key to successful school partnerships is to remain involved over time.
