Although the headlines shout about the loss of jobs due to Covid 19, your business might be one that is surviving handily, even thriving, right now. You might be actively adding to your talent pool. If you're in a labor-heavy business like home health care, recruitment and retention of enough top talent to meet customer needs is a constant challenge, regardless of other economic trends. The retention of top talent is not an accident - it is a business strategy that can make the difference between having a competitive edge and fighting upstream. Here are some principles to guide your talent retention efforts:
- Understand what employees really want – Competitive pay and
good benefits are a great starting point, but they are most noticeable to employees only when they have to substitute for a sense of purpose, inclusion, and control over ones own work life.
- Match talent with the correct role – Jim Collins talks about “right people, right seats” in his book “Good to Great”. Each of your team members has a native genius, even the colleagues you find annoying. Problem finding, for instance, is a type of genius. Yes, you might see the talented problem finder as a Debbie Downer in a staff meeting. The magic comes when you align that native genius with the role that needs it. In certain roles like auditing, tech security, etc., problem finding talent is not only desirable - it is essential.
- Focus on results versus methods – Your key players might be particularly effective in writing, or speaking, or creating tangible results with their hands. When you focus on results rather than methods, you free your performers to use the talents they have in abundance. They will accomplish better results when they are using and honing their talents. AND they will be more engaged because using one’s strengths feels good. Are there roles where the means is equally important to the ends? Of course. But if you check your assumptions, you may be able to allow far more flexibility than has been your custom.
- Open the door for impact - Include team members in decision making, and stretch their capabilities by giving them assignments that are slightly too big for them from time to time. Give your team 51% of the vote when decisions need to be made. The bigger you allow them to become in expertise and accountability, the more engaged they will be.
- Help them strengthen their strengths - Talents are the raw goods - strengths are talents that are developed for application in their roles. Send top talent to conferences and sign them up for relevant continuing education. It is possible that by doing so, you will make them attractive for a competitor to attempt to recruit. But if you are creating a climate where they can thrive, they will want to stay.
- Assess your talent regularly - A-level players don't like to hang out with B and C players. They grow frustrated when mediocrity is tolerated, even rewarded through lack of accountability. Do Stay interviews with your top talent to keep lines of communication open. Coach the A minus and B players to help them improve their skills. As for the B minus and C players...if you are serious about retaining top talent you will give them 30 days to improve or make them available to the rest of the business community.
Comments
Post a Comment