RETENTION : START AT THE VERY BEGINNING
Robert Kenward , founder of EventHub . Jobs , encourages employers to choose potential employees based on compatibility – not just on business needs
taff retention is hugely important to all businesses . It can be confusing because when it relates to new starters ( first 12 months ) it ’ s called attrition . This column isn ’ t looking at long term retention – because that ’ s not my area of expertise , and that ’ s when the HR department kicks in and manages the company culture , values , team leadership and all the good stuff that a company puts in place to encourage people to stay long term .
But retention does start with recruitment because companies need to take a long-term approach ; there ’ s little point in getting all the long-term stuff in place , if the person isn ’ t recruited properly and doesn ’ t stay beyond the first 12 months .
Recruitment will often be a knee-jerk reaction and be focused on finding the right skills and experience to fill the gap the employer has right now . But , if a company is recruiting to fill that gap , then they aren ’ t looking to
“ If a company is recruiting to fill a gap , then they aren ’ t looking to match the candidate ’ s career and personal aspirations with what the business is doing longer term . That ’ s where attrition surprises them ”
Robert Kenward match the candidate ’ s career and personal aspirations with what the business is doing longer term . That ’ s where attrition surprises them ; the interviewer and the candidate get excited and both parties over sell themselves , but then three or six months later , everyone realises that the job / the company is not quite what they thought it was .
A balancing act
Recruitment shouldn ’ t just be focused on the needs of the business , and it shouldn ’ t be focused on what the business needs an employee to do . Building retention into the recruitment process involves taking a deep dive into everyone ’ s future ; who are the people they ’ ll be working with ? Who ’ s their line manager ? Where do we see this role going in 12 to 18 months ? If the employer wants the employee to be promoted in a year , what support do they need to www . conference-news . co . uk