GreenSearch Hiring: Attracting And Retaining Employees Are Not The Same Thing

Published January 07, 2000

Whenever the market for good people is tight and employers are seeking ways to find more of them, there is a tendency to lump the ideas of attracting and retaining people into one category. Sometimes we become so focused on hiring people that we lose focus on how to treat them once they come aboard. In many cases, new employees size up their company in the first few months of employment and, based upon these experiences, begin to make decisions about how long they will stay employed there. These early experiences form lasting impressions because new employees expect good things to happen to them while they are learning the ropes. You expect to see the best in them and they expect to see the best in you. Here are some ideas on how to make those first impressions positive for both parties.

Get the paper work out of the way. Before the new employee enters into the mainstream of his/her job, make sure all the necessary employment related forms are completed and filed away appropriately. When this task is not handled well up front, you run the risk of never getting these forms completed and being in violation of several employment regulations.

Make sure that the business owner and the other managers who will work with the selected candidate are "on the same page" in terms of the aforementioned specifications, description and Critical Success Factors. It is most common that the hiring principals differ in agreement regarding these key elements. As a result, confusion exists among the management team and mixed signals are sent to the newly hired individual about their responsibilities and span of control. By doing an internal "double-check," a greater degree of consensus is achieved prior to the commencement of the recruiting and selection process.

Show the new person around. This includes everything from employee parking, where company equipment and materials are stored, safety regulations, company standards, how customers are treated, as well as the names and job titles of key employees on whom they will rely for information and guidance. If you have bilingual folks who can help in this orientation process, that's even better.

Some companies have an introductory period for the first 90 days of the employment period to see if this is a good match for both parties. If your company has one, spend some time explaining what is expected during this period. These expectations should be mutually understood and not be a surprise.

At the end of the first week, make it a point to talk with the new employee and see how things are going. This is best done with a quick and informal inquiry. Also, if there is a waiting period for eligibility for any of the company's benefit programs, make sure that when that date rolls around the employee is signed up and doesn't have to inquire about enrollment.

As the new employee becomes more acclimated to the job, look for opportunities to provide direct, positive feedback about his/her performance level. Unsolicited, positive comments are important components of an effective company recognition program.

Each of these events is a common sense step designed to build a greater amount of employee loyalty and retention in your company. They are often overlooked and undervalued. From the viewpoint of a new employee, however, these are the kinds of things that may make your company a more desirable place to work.

For more GreenSearch PeopleSmarts^® articles click here.

The above article was developed by GreenSearch which provides key management search, web-based job posting and management consulting services to the green industry and allied trades nationwide.

For more information on GreenSearch, please call 888/375-7787 or click on the logo above.

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