Strategies for recruiting and retaining employees

from Portage & District Business Review 2022

Portage Golf Club celebrates a century and looks to the future

By Patrick Friesen, Consultant, Homefield People & Strategy

Drive through the streets of any city or town and you’re sure to see many signs announcing, “We’re hiring!” As more and more industries and services come back on stream, finding people to do the work has become a frequent challenge for most leaders. Building your dream team takes a lot of work, and losing employees can hurt your ability to meet your deadlines and accomplish your goals. Here are eight strategies to help find and keep those valuable people on your team.

Four recruitment strategies

1. Communicate your values

Begin the recruitment process by determining why people would want to work for you. If you aren’t sure, ask your current employees. Pay attention to the reasons that your best employees give. Prospective employees want to know more than just the job description − they want to work for a leader who can provide value for them as an employee.

2. Build your network

Expand your employee search by building connections that will provide valuable prospects. Connect with your local Chamber of Commerce. Talk to local schools, community colleges, and universities to provide recent grads with experience. Invite your employees to refer people to you. You may even want to incentivize it with a recruitment reward.

3. Hire for “Fit” not for “Function”

Skill and experience aren’t the most important factors when hiring an employee. Making sure that they are a good fit is critical to their ability to contribute to the organization. Key areas of fit should focus on values, thinking style, behaviours, interests, and pace. Proper alignment in these areas leads to job satisfaction and better retention.

4. Plan the interview

The interview provides a key window to assess whether the person is going to fit. Ask questions which help to identify the qualities that are most important to you. Ask the applicant how they would respond to a variety of scenarios. Using a pre-employment assessment tool guides the interview process and provides necessary information on the person you are looking to hire. The entire process of recruitment can feel overwhelming at times. Working together with other people in your organization or an HR consultant can help provide the perspective that you need to navigate the hiring process.

Four Retention Strategies

1. Support their ongoing development

Begin the practice of strength spotting. When you see someone excelling in a particular area, provide opportunities for them to build on their strengths.

Using a pre-employment assessment tool guides the interview process and provides necessary information on the person you are looking to hire.

Providing learning opportunities for people to grow their skills and knowledge increases loyalty while providing a more capable workforce.

2. Keep communication open

Providing supportive and corrective feedback in a timely and effective manner reinforces the values of the organization and addresses concerns early. Listening to your team can reveal issues that need addressing and communicates value and significance.

3. Encourage accountability and trust

Trust is the foundation to creating a team that will creatively overcome obstacles and generate new ideas for growth. As trust grows, your employees will hold each other accountable to their commitments.

4. Fair compensation

Wages that compete with industry standards and provide adequate compensation are

important but are not the only thing to consider when it comes to compensation. Other things like vacation policies, benefits, and workplace flexibility play a significant role within the compensation package.

Investing time and resources into attracting and keeping talented employees pays off with less time and money spent on training and turnover. Our desire at Homefield People and Strategy is to support your efforts in developing your dream team through meaningful training and resources designed to improve your efforts.

Find out more about us at www.myhomefield.ca!

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