Recruiting talent in this climate has its challenges, don’t lose new hires by not establishing and maintaining solid relationships. Even though the candidate may have just accepted, use the time before they start to start connecting. By reaching out to check in with them, gifting them company logo items, taking time to personalize their workspace (regardless of whether it’s virtual or physical) with family pictures or welcome banners all help set the foundation.
The work doesn’t stop once the candidate becomes an employee, keep up by connecting regularly and expressing a genuine interest in them as individuals and their career. Remember that many of their job search engines are still working against you in your ability to retain this new talent to your business. Candidates job search profiles may still be active and sending appealing job leads for months after they accept your position. A good way to combat this is to engage the new team member in meaningful work as well as getting them directly involved in the business and their teams. Enhance the sticky factor by ensuring they are excited about this career change. The very best way to retain and engage new hires is to be a good manager and mentor; people work for people, not companies. A progressive management team is the best defence against attrition. The stronger managers definitely have an advantage. Focus on growing your leadership skills, especially in this new work world, leading remote teams is an emerging skill that many managers lack.
Step back and consider the new hire and employee experience in a constructive manner. When and how often do they hear from their manager, the department executive and top leadership? What are the benefits they have access to as a team member and have you recently evaluated them? Is there a waiting period before they can participate in the Company 401(K) plan? If your benefits are not a direct reflection of your values, it’s time to make changes. These adjustments don’t require a great deal of effort, time or financial investment. Many vendors are working to increase their competitive factor so jump on the evaluation process sooner than later! Don’t make the mistake of waiting until “open enrollment season”, it will likely be too late by then – act now!
I work with leaders around the world in Fortune 100 firms as well as local start-ups to create strategies to build high performing teams and unparalleled employee experiences. Creating a strong value proposition is important for your employees and clients alike; don’t be one dimensional in this space. Be critical of the overall employee experience and you’ll beat the competition with a winning team. Call me and we can discuss retention and engagement strategies for your key talent. I have the answer you need; we just need to understand the question. Good luck!
HR MD 