Posted on November 12, 2019 at 9:05 AM by Tom Hamilton, SPHR
The 5R's - Refer, Recruit, Recognize, Reward and Retain. The keys to attracting and keeping the people that will drive growth and profitability. We are delivering this brief newsletter to Company Executives, Managers and Human Resource Professionals who have the responsibility of recruiting and retaining the best talent for their organization.
Companies spend enormous amounts of time and money on "best practices" for their businesses. For example, Manufacturers strive for ISO 9000 Certification; utilize Six Sigma principles and Lean Manufacturing fundamentals. All of these help the company consistently manage repeatable processes. Have you made your hiring process a systematic process? Your goal should be to make it as efficient as ISO, Six Sigma, or Lean, repeatable business processes. Here are some ideas on how to emulate "best practices" in your staffing process.
- It starts at the top. Management must buy-in to the fact that we are in a labor crisis , staffing with high quality people must be a high priority. Top Management must provide the vision, the commitment, and the resources.
- Candidate sourcing needs to be more sophisticated than ever. For example, techniques such as Employee Referral Programs must be implemented to identify and attract those passive candidates who are not actively looking for a position.
- Recruiters and Hiring Managers must effectively sell the company mission, vision and the opportunity. They must also convey pride in your organization -- and then assume the responsibility for leading and retaining talent.
- Job descriptions must be current, relevant and clarify expectations; they must describe opportunities and challenges, and clearly show how the person taking the job can be successful (not just duties and responsibilities).
- The interview process must become more effective by utilizing targeted, behaviorally based interview questions. Manager training in Interviewing will pay big dividends.
- Utilize technology. On-line employment applications can save your time and screen out unqualified candidates. On-line Assessments can dramatically improve your selection accuracy and identify training and development needs. On-line background searches, such as criminal, education, credit, motor vehicle records etc. will verify stability and reliability.
- Recruiters and hiring managers must be able to communicate effectively, prioritize schedules, & quickly respond to good candidates (they won't be available long!).
- Follow up with new hires; the first 90 days are critical to their long term success. Help them adapt to "their new family" and become part of the team.
Conclusion: Every aspect of your staffing system must be designed to attract the quality candidate who has multiple opportunities, not just the one who is conveniently available or unemployed. Regularly examine your processes; keep your standards high; make them as efficient as other parts of your business. The future of your organization depends on it!