RECRUITMENT & RECRUITMENT & RETENTION STRATEGIES RETENTION STRATEGIES By By Chris Chuks O. Chris Chuks O. Offokansi, Phd, ACIPM, CMNIM Offokansi, Phd, ACIPM, CMNIM Halliburton Energy Services Nigeria Limited Halliburton Energy Services Nigeria Limited
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FOUR STEPS TO HIRING RIGHT CONTINUESFOUR STEPS TO HIRING RIGHT CONTINUES
3. Follow a structure: the interview has three parts ± the opening, thebody and the closing.
� It is important to understand that each one of these is animportant piece in the jigsaw.
� While 80% of the time is spent in the body, the opening andclosing bits leave perhaps a more lasting impression in thecandidate¶s mind.
� In the opening, greet the candidate, set the tone of theinterview, build rapport, make the candidate feel comfortableso that he is able to showcase what he is fully, and clarify thestructure of the interview.
The best indicator of future performance is past performance ± this is the
dictum that you should always keep in mind while interviewing.
There is a simple model to follow ± EAR.
� a. E is for example, continuously ask the candidate about examples of whathe has done in the past. Hypothetical questions (what will you do if«) do notnecessarily tell you how he will react in real-life situations, but a recount of hisactions in the past under similar situations will give you an idea of what toexpect in future.
� b. A is for action, continuously probe on his actions in the example (stayaway from ³we´, ³my team´, etc.).
� c. R is for result, continuously seek the outcome of his actions in theexamples that he quotes.
Merely knowing the example and the action is not sufficient, you must knowwhat happened as a result of his actions. Putting together, the EAR model helps
you gather information that¶ll be useful in the final decision.
� Recruiting the right employee and keeping the right employeesmatters, especially now and immediately after the current economicmeltdown.
� In a recent survey of Fortune 500 companies, 33% turnover isexpected at the executive level in the next five years. One-third of respondents said they weren¶t confident about finding suitablereplacements.
� Employee retention, especially of your best, most desirable employees,is a key challenge in organizations today. Reducing employee turnover is dependant on the total work environment you offer for employees.
� Competitive salary and benefits, and tuition assistance are threebasics in employee retention. Especially for millennialemployees, these are the Holy Grail (ultimate ideal or reward) for recruitment and increasing retention.
� Employee retention is dependant on the total work environmentyou offer for employees.
� A recent Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)
press release revealed the answer to the question of whatpeople plan to do when the job market rebounds.
The majority of the Human Resource (HR) professionals andmanagers surveyed agreed that turnover will rise significantly
once the job market improves. Both groups felt that the jobmarket will improve within the next year, according to the latestJob Recovery Survey.
� The survey was produced by SHRM and CareerJournal.com,The survey results include responses from 451 HRprofessionals and 300 managerial or executive employees.
Employees cited the following three top reasons they would begin searching for
a new job:
� 53 percent seek better compensation and benefits.
� 35 percent cited dissatisfaction with potential career development.
� 32 percent said they were ready for a new experience.
� HR professionals were asked which programs or policies they use currently to helpretain employees. The following three are the most common programs employers areusing to retain employees:
� 62 percent provide tuition reimbursement.
� 60 percent offer competitive vacation and holiday benefits.
In addition to the three retention tips offered by HR professionals in the
SHRMCareerJournal.com survey, ( ie competitive salary, competitive vacation and
holidays and tuition reimbursement), these are your key retention strategies.
� Select the right people in the first place through behaviour-based testing andcompetency screening. The right person, in the right seat, on the right bus is thestarting point.
� Offer an attractive, competitive, benefits package with components such as lifeinsurance, disability insurance and flexible hours.
� Provide opportunities for people to share their knowledge via training sessions,presentations, mentoring others and team assignments.
� Demonstrate respect for employees at all times. Listen to them deeply; use their ideas; never ridicule or shame them.
� Human Resources department response to employees:
The Human Resource department needs to be more responsive to employee questions
and concerns. In many companies, the HR department is perceived as the policy
making and policing arm of management. In fact, in forward thinking HR departments,responsiveness to employee needs is one of the cornerstones.
� Pay increase guidelines for merit:
Employees believe the compensation system should place greater emphasis on merit
and contribution. Employees find pay systems in which all employees receive the samepay increase annually, demoralizing. Such pay systems hit the motivation and
commitment of your best employees hardest as they may begin asking what¶s in this for
me?
As you adopt a merit pay system, one component is education so that employees know
what behaviours and contributions merit additional compensation. Employees who didnot must be informed by their manager about how their performance needs to change to
Employees want the perception that each employee is treated equivalently with other
employees. If there are policies, behavioural guidelines, methods for requesting time off,
valued assignments, opportunities for development, frequent communication, and just
about any other work related decisions you can think of, employees want fair treatment.
� Communication and Availability:
Let¶s face it. Employees want face-to-face communication time with both their
supervisors and executive management. This communication helps them feel
recognized and important. And, yes, your time is full because you have a job, too. But, amanager¶s main job is to support the success of all his or her reporting employees.
That¶s how the manager magnifies their own success.
� Workloads are too heavy:
Departments are understaffed and employees feel as if their workloads are too heavyand their time is spread too thinly. I see this complaint becoming worse as layoffs; the
economy; your ability to find educated, skilled, experienced staff; and your business
demands grow. To combat this, each company should help employees participate in
� Knowledge of each of your employee helps you to achieve the goal of retention;for the simple reason that they all have their strengths, weaknesses, like, dislikes,goals, motivation and learning styles. By understanding and acting on thesedifferences, you will be able to bring out the best out of your team.