Isn’t it funny how sometimes when words rhyme, people find the phrase easier to remember? “Turn that frown upside down” or “Know what I mean, Jellybean” are common colloquialisms that just seem to stick. So here’s a new one for you, courtesy of Top Prospect Group … PAY ATTENTION TO RETENTION! That’s right, pay attention to retention… retaining employees isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the most important hiring strategies out there. The reason for this, is that retaining employees is actually a tremendous cost saver as well as a strong recruitment tool. Think about it, how many folks want to join a company with a revolving door? Sure, some people may “take the job” simply because they need the money, but that particular employee may not end up staying long and then you are back to square one. And what happens at square one? You end up spending more money looking for, and filling, yet another empty position. Additionally, when you retain employees, you reduce the need and/or willingness to hire someone out of desperation. A desperate hire, 9 times out of 10, isn’t a “best fit” hire, but rather someone to just fill the role — It’s like a band-aid on a wound. The wound isn’t actually healed, but the band-aid makes it appear like the wound is gone. So that leads to the question, how do you avoid this? Here are some tips to keep you from hiring out of desperation.
#1 Don’t make your hiring process a fire drill — save that for the real firemen. If you wait until the last minute to make a hire, you are backing yourself into a corner which reduces flexibility in your search. This can cause hasty hires because you simply haven’t had the time to properly vet the pool of candidates and qualify your best candidate leads.
#2 Get acquainted with the latest hiring trends. Read up on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media sites for what is hot in hiring — and also just as important — what is hard to find! You may discover that you are trying to fill an open position which, not just you, but also all of your competitors are having trouble finding. This may lead to intense competition for the best candidates — which gives a huge edge to the potential employee. Instead, gain as much knowledge as possible. Do you really need everything on the laundry list of the job description? Break it down to what the most relevant aspects of the role are and consider a specialized consultant to produce a portion of the work.
#3 Don’t be afraid to hit the help button. Sometimes, it is best to allow staffing firms, such as Top Prospect Group, to help with your hiring needs. Why? Because we are experts in the staffing field, already do the research on the latest trends in hiring, and come stacked with a pool of talented candidates, and do all of the initial evaluation for you. This permits you to keep your most important asset, time, focused on growing your business.
