1

compiled by
G K Lim

The compiler gives you permission to freely distribute this ebook to

your colleagues, associates and relatives

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CONTENTS
Hiring and Retaining Good Employees 04

Building a Retention Culture - Retaining Top Talent is a Strategic

Imperative 12

5 Best Practices for Retaining Your Best Talent 16

Retaining Top Performers 20

Retaining Good Employees 23

Maintaining People Places & Retaining Staff 26

Recruiting and Retaining Top Sales People 29

Retaining Employees - 10 Steps To Keep Them Happy 34

The One BIG SECRET To Retaining Great People 37

Recruiting And Retaining The Most Talented People Without Spending

Penny 41

Retention - 10 Reminders 44

Keeping Good Staff Is Important But Keeping Your Family Is Critical 47

Customized Employee Retention Plans 50

The Four Cultures of Employee Retention 54

Manage Talent Or Lose It 59

Top Retention Tools - Survey Results 61

Retention of Key Workers is #1 Entrepreneurial Challenge 63

Employee Retention: It's a Changing Game 66

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R2 = EOC --- Recruitment & Retention = Employer of Choice 69

Employee Retention: Five Leadership Fundamentals 74

How to Retain Top Sales Talent 77

Employee Retention for New Hires 82

Increasing Employee Retention Through Employee Engagement 85

About the compiler, G K Lim 89

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Hiring and Retaining Good

Employees
By Myron Curry

Hiring good employees is not only important to business, it’s essential.

Employees are the heart and soul of a business; they are the
mechanism that makes a business run; they are the breath of life that
enables a business to be something more than an idea. A business
cannot run unless someone (employees, in this case) is doing the work.
Any intelligent business owner should want good employees.

EMPLOYERS NOT THE ONLY ONES TO FEEL THE EFFECT

Bad employees not only affect an employer by driving down sales,

costing the company unwanted expenses due to negligence or simple
lack of motivation, etc, but they affect the customer as well. Of course,
once a customer has experienced a bad employee, it automatically
affects the employer in obvious ways. Although this seems like common
sense to most people, it is uncanny how most employers will overlook
this fact, whether it’s because of time constraints to effectively deal with
the problem or lack of better judgment. Whatever the case, it is a fact
that sales get driven down and production slowed for a reason. That
reason could very well be because of the customer’s lack of satisfaction
with whatever service he or she had received and that lack of
satisfaction stems from bad employees.

FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO START WITH

This is one of the most important things you, as an employer, can do.
Getting the right people into your company to start with gets things
moving in the right direction at the very beginning.

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According to Chairman and CEO, Hal F. Rosenbluth, and Consultant,

Diane McFerrin Peters, of Rosenbluth International, the third-largest
travel management company in the world, “Most of us choose our
spouse with care and rear our children with nurturing and compassionate
attention. Yet, we tend to select the people who will join our company on
the basis of an interview or two, and once they have joined, they often
find that they must fend for themselves.

This contrast illustrates the disparity between the environments of family

and work. But, given the amount of time we must spend at work,
wouldn’t we all be happier if we took as much care at the office as at
home to create a supportive environment? Wouldn’t we also be far more
successful?” (28).

The answer is yes.

THE CUSTOMER DOES NOT COME FIRST

It’s important to remember that if you want quality employees, your

company must be of the same caliber. If you expect to attract an
employee who thrives to be as dedicated to the business as possible,
doing more than what is expected, and putting forth 110% without any
consideration being given to the employee’s personal needs, thoughts,
and desires, you are truly fooling yourself. And, eventually, your
business will suffer for it.

It’s obvious to most, by now, that benefits and perks play a large part in
attracting employees. I need not explain the many benefits that a
company should make available to attract a good employee because it
should be common sense to most, by now. I will say, however, that
attaining a good employee must go much farther than just having a great
set of benefits. After all, does a wonderful benefits package actually
attract only good employees? Of course not. There must be more to it
than that.

For the customer to be served with the best results humanly possible, a
more modern approach to the theory of customer satisfaction must be
realized which is that the customer should not come first; the employee
should. Therein in itself is one of the most successful ways to attract a
good employee.

When a business puts its employees first, many things can happen. To
begin with, the employee is happy. If the employee is happy, the service

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that the employee provides to the customer will be far more outstanding
than if he or she were not happy. If the service is outstanding, the
customer will be happy and that only spells successful results for the
business.

This does not mean that an employer must wait hand and foot on the
employee. No, it simply means that careful consideration to what an
employee thinks, wants, and suggests should be considered. Do not
treat an employee as if he or she is a factory robot working on a clock.
Treat them as people. Treat them with respect by talking to them as
people and not “talking down to them” as “employees”. In fact, a good
idea would be to remove the term “employee” all together. One
successful company I know of refers to its employees as “associates”,
thereby empowering their “associates” with a feeling of more respect and
purpose.

EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP AND FLEXIBILITY A MUST

An open, friendly atmosphere is a must in a workplace. Micro managing,

as most already are aware of, is frowned upon. This is for a reason.
When a work environment is open enough for all employees to
contribute and offer ideas and suggestions, without ridicule or negative
response, this sparks creativity in an employee and, again, empowers
them to contribute more to the business. If everyone feels as though
they are a part of the leadership process and not just a worker bee, they
will have a satisfying feeling that can go a long way. Micro managing
completely kills this system.

An employer must be flexible. Does there really need to be a rigid

schedule? Does lunchtime really need to take place at a specific time?
Who actually needs a clock to tell them when they are hungry? This line
of thinking is what is needed in every faucet of business, as simple as it
seems. It makes an employee feel more like a human; it makes them
feel as though the business respects them as a person and will put them
first. Once that consideration is instilled in an employee’s mind, there
isn’t anything that he or she wouldn’t do for a business. And, when a
person looks forward to waking up in the morning to begin working in a
place where they feel management gives them respect and thinks highly
of them, they will put forth the effort to show appreciation.

HIRE NICE PEOPLE

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Experience and degrees are great ways of measuring employees’

qualifications and potential…but ask yourself, are they nice people? A
person can be the most qualified, educated, and experienced possible
employee on the planet but if they have the personality of a wet paper
bag or of a caged wolverine, it’s guaranteed they’re not going to do
much for your business. Those that have to work with them will be
disgruntled on a daily bases and begin putting out a poor performance.
The customers that receive service from them will be unhappy and I
need not say what happens after that.

Hire nice people. Nice people can do wonders for a business. Sound
picky? It is. But, when it comes to your business, can you afford not to
be picky?

A nice person can learn anything. Nice people are pleasant to be around
and are easy to teach. They are notoriously quick to learn. So, even if
your nice person does not have the skill set that you are looking for, one
might consider the possibility of training. Think about the potential,
especially if nice people seem to be rare in your neck of the woods.

HOW DO YOU FIND NICE PEOPLE

This should be obvious. During the interview process, were they down-
to-earth or were they focused solely on success, success, and more
success? As crazy as it may seem, the total, success driven fanatic may
not be the best option. Again, the person who seems more like a
“person” would be the best candidate for hiring. In the long run, they will
make your business more successful because they would make the
customer, as well as those that have to work with them, happier.

Conduct tests and unconventional interview methods. Why should an

interview consist of one or two meetings in a stuffy room? How can we
really find out about a person that way? The answer is that we can’t.
Instead, how about combining the stuffy office interview one day with
another day of playing a game of softball with other, current employees,
as Hal F. Rosenbluth and Diane McFerrin tend to do within their
company? This would be great for company moral and, at the same
time, provide a chance to see how the potential employee reacts in a
team environment. If the person is bent on nothing but winning and
becomes angry when other teammates drop the ball or do not hit as far
as they should, perhaps this person is not the best employee to have
around. Chances are that their performance on the softball field will
reflect their performance in the office. (31-32).

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Go for a drive. As again explained by Hal F. Rosenbluth and Diane

McFerrin Peters, the way a person drives an automobile says a lot about
a person’s personality. Are they overly aggressive and speed through
traffic, weaving in an out of other cars, determined to get to the point of
destination no matter what the cost? Or, are they assertive drivers who
consider the safety of their passengers and think of alternate routes
when confronted with a traffic jam, focusing more on the drive than the
destination? (31). Which person would you rather have working for you?
Which person would you rather have serving your customers? If you
were a customer, which person would you rather have serving you?

Invite your new, potential employee to a company social event. Are they
the type of person that talks only of themselves and continuously brags
about all of the wonderful things that he or she has done? Do they even
talk to anyone at all? These are the folks that either want to gain far
more than they are willing to contribute or aren’t willing to gain or
contribute. These are the type of people that will bring your company
down.

So, some key points to consider thus far:

Consider your employees before your customers. Not only will the
employee put out a far better performance due to feeling respected, but
your company will also build a reputation as being “the company to work
for”, which will attract other, good employees.

Be flexible. Constraints in the office constrain creativity and work

performance. Go for casual clothing, if possible. Let your employee
decide when it’s time to eat and take a break. Be flexible on your
employee’s schedule, catering to his or her personal needs. The
employee will show appreciation in return, by supplying a good output of
production.

Hire nice people. Not one customer in the world, no matter what
business you are in, enjoys service from someone with less-than-
appreciative attitude. And, your other employees will not enjoy working
with them either, bringing down moral and production drastically. This
kind of person will not be willing to strive at contributing to your
company; they will strive to contribute only to themselves.

Consider the unconventional when interviewing an employee. The more

often you can set a scenario that a potential employee will not expect or

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could find to be an unusual method of interviewing, the better. It will give

you a chance to see what that person is really capable of, as a person.

RETAINING GOOD EMPLOYEES

As important as attracting good employees is, it is just as important to

retain them. As always, benefit packages help to retain employees. But,
again, this is something that most people are already aware of. Sure,
there will be those that will want to stay for the great benefits. But, is that
all you, as an employer, can offer? No.

After spending as much time as you should have in attracting good

employees, it only makes sense that you would go to certain lengths to
keep them. Chances are, if you really attracted a good employee, it
wasn’t just because of the benefits. And, chances are that your good
employee will not stay just because of the benefits. Benefits, although a
positive force, are not the end all and can, at times, be a false sense of
security to an employer. Not everyone develops his or her retention
decision on a benefits package, at least not the smart employee.

LET THEM CHANGE IT UP NOW AND AGAIN

Let your people explore your company. Don’t lock them into one, specific
type of work, especially if they express desire to try other things. In
today’s job market, job-hoping, as it is known, is a regular occurrence. If
you provide your employees with the chance to job-hop “within” your
company, this is one way of keeping them there. Give them the
opportunity to gain new experience, knowledge, and skills. This will only
enhance your company anyway, by having an employee that can do and
handle more. It also increases confidence in the employee and makes
their work more satisfying. The United States military and civil services
such as police and fire departments have already figured that one out.
They call it cross-training and fleeting-up and it’s a great idea.

COMMUNICATION

Communicating is very important, not only in day to day business, but in

retention as well. People need to feel as though they have a grasp on
what is going on within the company. They want to know where the
company is going and how they will be part of that process. They need
to feel they are involved in the company. Being part of any planning
processes, being able to contribute ideas for the company, and
essentially being heard is all part of communication. Again, this is

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emphasized in most of the U.S.’s military forces as well, even though

they conduct themselves in more of a dictatorship.

Know why your people wanted to join your company in the first place
and hone in on that. Keep that priority of the employee in consideration,
always acting on it and developing it, and the employee will want to
continue that purpose with a strong sense.

Talk to your people. Not only should you get to know them, you should
get to know what they continue to want and think. And, don’t think for a
minute that a person’s desires and thoughts on particular matters will be
the same later down the road as they were when they first joined the
organization. Things change, including your employee’s thoughts and
desires. Keep up with those changes.

Get feedback from your employee’s. Find out what they think is right and
wrong with the company. Provide a feedback forum. And, most
importantly, act on the information you receive from this feedback.

In summary:

Let your employee job hop and provide an opportunity to let them do it
within your company, instead of having to go outside the company. More
than likely, if they can’t do it in the company, they will venture outside to
a place that they can. Take advantage of the multiple skills your people
can learn within the company. This not only helps your company out, it
gives the employee a feeling of more purpose and he or she will enjoy
not having to go far to expand their skills.

Keep your people in mind when it comes to information on where the

company is headed and what it is doing. If the employee does not feel
informed on what is happening, they will not feel as though they are part
of the company and, therefore, will not want to stay, in the long run.

Get to know what your people want, when they first enter the
organization and periodically throughout their tenure. People’s motives
and desires change. The good employer is the one that can keep up with
those changes. Offer feedback methods and make sure you act on the
results.

Above all, remember what it was that got you that good employee in the
first place. The concepts mentioned in this article that enable an
employer to attain a good employee to begin with are basically the same

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principals of retaining them as well. It’s that simple. Anyone who works
for a company that considers their needs, is just, and can remain
flexible, as well as provides other good employees to work alongside,
will want to continue working in that company. Hiring and retaining good
employees goes hand in hand.

About The Author

Myron Curry is President and CEO of http://BusinessTrainingMedia.com

a leading provider of workforce and business development training
programs designed exclusively for corporate deployment. Myron has
over 20 years of successful management experience with leading
fortune 500 companies and has written numerous articles about
workforce management issues. You can contact Myron at:
[mailto:myron@business-marketing.com]myron@business-
marketing.com or visit his company's website
http://www.businesstrainingmedia.com

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Building a Retention Culture -

Retaining Top Talent is a Strategic
Imperative
By Maynard Brusman

How to keep workers:

The ability to retain top people is critical the success of companies.

Commitment, the bond between people and the organization, has
become the vitamin C of business.

Retaining key people is Number One problem in corporate America. A

solution means more profitable companies, happier, more productive
employees, and more satisfied customers.

In most organizations, the CEO sets the tone for how people are treated.
Are people valued for what they do on a frequent, individual basis or are
they grouped together as a line item in the budget?

Managers need to be held accountable for building a retention culture in

their teams and in their departments. Research from the Saratoga
Institute shows that 50 percent of work-life satisfaction is determined by
the relationship a worker has with his or her boss.

Self-managed, agile organizations create work environments where

people can continuously learn and make decisions.

Employers face an unexpected predicament. The economy is robust,

technology is expanding our capacity, and global markets provide new
customers. However, companies do not have enough competent people
to get the work done.

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Retaining the right people is a strategic imperative. Managers and

employing organizations need to understand what good people want and
meet those expectations. Diverse workers want to control their own
destiny and make significant contributions to society through their work.

Research demonstrates that most people shift their loyalties to a new

employer because of non-monetary reasons. Good people leave their
jobs for the following typical reasons: 1.The company mission, vision,
and values seem incongruent with their experience, 2. Leaders do not
communicate how the employee is valued, 3. Inadequate resources and
information, 4. No opportunity for advancement, and 5. Compensation
issues.

There are a number of important strategies that companies can

implement that will provide a solution to keeping valuable people. Which
strategies are needed depends on the particular corporate culture. A
comprehensive corporate culture survey designed and administered to
all employees can help determine which strategies to employ.

Selected Strategies for Retaining Good People:

• Create a Statement of Values

• Share a common vision

• Offer an open management style

• Provide career growth, learning, and development

• Create exciting work and challenge

• Provide meaningful work

• Be flexible with work hours, dress, work rules, telecommuting

• Work together as a team

• Create trust in senior leadership

• Provide job security

• Minimize work-related stress

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• Increase competitiveness of rewards

• Provide opportunities to use skills on the job

• Trust your people

• Appreciate employees on a regular basis

• Reward leaders who listen and act on employee input

• Provide proper resources

• Encourage creativity and innovation

• Establish a learning culture

• Provide rewards based on performance

• Get people involved in decision-making

• Encourage collaboration

• Build employees self-esteem

• Demonstrate integrity in all business endeavors.

• Provide support with managing change

• Facilitate open communication

• Make work fun

• Create balance between work and family

• Assign coaches or mentors who help employees not only with

specific jobs, but in developing their careers

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Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and

trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. We provide strategic talent
management solutions to select and develop emotionally intelligent
leaders and lawyers.

The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded two rare

"Board Approved" designations for Dr. Maynard Brusman in the
specialties of Executive/Leadership Coaching and Trusted Advisor to
Attorneys and Law Firms.

Subscribe to Working Resources FREE electronic newsletter at

http://www.workingresources.com

Visit Maynard's Blog at http:// http://www.WorkingResourcesBlog.com

P.O. Box 471525

San Francisco, California 94147-1525

Tel: 415-546-1252

Fax: 415-721-7322

E-mail: mailto:mbrusman@workingresources.com
mbrusman@workingresources.com

Web Site: http://www.workingresources.com

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5 Best Practices for Retaining Your

Best Talent
By Russell White

Companies have a tradition of luring away top executive talent from the
competition. In sports free agency has changed the entire landscape of
professional athletics as teams constantly fight for talent. The talent wars
are now reaching the trenches and companies are taking off the gloves
and aggressively going after top talent at all levels regardless of who
they are currently employed by.

Because employees now know they are potential free agents, they are
looking for the best package, not just more money. Who are the people
you would hate to lose? It's time to use these five best practices for
retaining your top talent so they aren't as eager to see if the money is
greener on the other side of the fence.

1. Give them a quality team

Top talent wants to work with other top talent. Most sports are set up
where the worst team gets the top talent in the next draft. No longer do
players willingly accept this. Some ask to be traded; others refuse to go
to the team that wanted to draft them. John Elway was ahead of his time
in this refusal. They all say they want to play on a winner.

Employees are singing the same song. The best talent wants to be part
of a team awash in great talent. Why? Because they know they will be
challenged to improve, they know the coworkers understand how to pull
their own weight, and they will respect those they work with.

Your top talent is looking for more top talent, and so should you be if you
want to keep what you currently have.

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2. Provide perks they value

The best expect to be treated that way. Top talent expects to be treated
like they matter to an organization. Google is on the fast track and they
know without top talent they can't stay the course. They offer their
employees free car washes and oil changes in the parking lot while they
are working. Other top talent organizations frequently offer exercise
facilities free for use during working hours. They know it keeps the
employees alert, fresh and demonstrates that employee health is
important.

One executive in one of my audiences told me he provides a break room

for his employees. In fact, he proudly offered, "It is a profit center for my
company!" I challenged him to consider offering break room contents for
free so more profits could appear on the bottom line and not the break
room line item. Take care of the people taking care of you!

When I work with Duke University and stay at their Dave Thomas
business center, I know at the end of the hall is a break room filled with
snacks from coffee, to granola bars, to Dove bars in the freezer -- free of
charge. It is not abused, or raided, but it is appreciated and almost
expected. When you are the best, you expect to be treated as such.

3. Keep the job exciting

This is the biggest challenge for business leaders because it has never
been as important to keeping good talent as it is now. Not only are
competitors better and making job opportunities sound fantastic, but we
are becoming a society where everyone is ADD! We constantly are
looking for the excitement, the adrenaline rush, or the thrill in our
entertainment and our personal lives. Television programs shift the
camera angle on average of every 3.4 seconds. Cruise lines now offer
constant activities such as rock wall climbing. Sporting events fill breaks
in the action at stadiums with music, cheerleader routines or on field
entertainment. If every part of our lives are filled with this stimulation,
why should work be any different?

Leaders need to be sharing their excitement for work. If the manager is

down trodden the workforce will reflect that and the top talent will be
looking for the exit door. Exciting leaders encourage excitement in others
and create work environments that buzz with excitement. Top talent
thrives in top working environments. Great sales people love the

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excitement of "fresh meat." Give them new client to work with, new
elephant prospects to try to land, keep them in the field and out of
meetings. Ask your best people, what can add excitement to their work
day. They will let you know how to create a work environment that will
keep them.

4. Challenge them regularly

When I talk about creating challenges I am not referring to constantly

giving them higher quotas, or being a manager who is very "challenging"
to work with. In fact, those two ways are sure to drive off top talent.

To challenge your top talent, get them involved with problem solving. Not
reaching the market share you desired? Ask them what they are seeing
in the field. Not maximizing your line efficiency? Don’t ask the engineers
to study it, ask your top operators how can that maximization occur?
Your best people enjoy the challenge of finding answers and want the
opportunity to offer ideas and suggestions. When their input is used for
innovations they take ownership and pride and become more linked to
your organization as a result.

Another way to challenge your best talent is let them play on pet projects
with pay. Top talent is usually thinking many steps ahead so why not
have them doing that for you? 3M allows some of their employs to play
on projects that are different from their day to day assignments. In short,
PostIt Notes were a result of a pet project that became the top selling
product for the company. What could your talent be doing for your
organization this way?

5. Job morphing

Once upon a time people tried to hire employees to fit a premolded job
description. Today you need to be molding the job to the talent, and let
your talent run free!

In front of an audience full of sales people I asked them what is the worst
part of their jobs? Almost as if rehearsed in unison I hear: paperwork!
Why do top sales people hate paperwork? Because sales people are
people people and not task-oriented people and they don't like sitting in
a cube. They would rather be in the field bringing down big game than
sitting in the office on Friday's pushing papers. Companies are
essentially benching their best talent for 20% of the week! Hire paper
pushers so your top talent goes out and do what they do best -- sell.

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Morph the job so the company and the employee get the best from their
day.

Retaining top talent is critically important in these predatory times. Be

sure you are doing what it takes to have them hang up on those trying to
poach your people.

Russell J. White, CSP is an author, international speaker and consultant.

He is president of Russell J. White International and founder of The
Edgewalk Institute where his cutting edge ideas assist businesses in
strategic planning, branding, leadership development and growth
strategies. His most requested keynote and forthcoming book "That's
MY job??? Restoring Responsibility in the Workplace" is solving current
problems for more profitable futures. He can be reached at
http://www.thinkbigguy.com or at 877-275-9468

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Retaining Top Performers

By Christopher Thompson

Have you ever heard the term “take care of your customers or someone
else will”? This saying is often placed on posters and other motivational
merchandise within businesses to remind employees that the customer
comes first. Taking care of your customers is one of the basic
fundamentals of successful business. Well, what about taking care of
your top performing employees?

Companies who have created an employee-focused culture enjoy the

benefits of low turnover, better performance and reduced recruiting and
human resource expenses. As employees grow in tenure, their
productivity grows as well.

To me, it seems as though most companies fall short of creating cultures

that are truly employee-focused. Think about all of the sales people you
know. How many of them are truly happy with the company and
management they sell for? Maybe it’s me, but the majority of top
performing sales people I speak with are dissatisfied with their employer
for one reason or another. Throughout my career in sales, I have heard
quite an extensive list of good reasons why top sales people may be
dissatisfied.

On February 22nd, 2007, Salary.com released results from its

2006/2007 “Employee Satisfaction and Retention Survey”. The survey
was completed by 11,852 employees and 311 Human Resource
professionals. The results are not surprising to me. It showed that over
60% of employees planned on looking for another job within the next
three months. Think that’s bad? Over 66% of tenured employees
(employed 3-10) years planned on looking for a new job within the next 3
months. I find this data very concerning. Compensation was the number
one reason employees planned on looking for a new job, while good

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relationships with managers and co-workers and good working hours

were listed as top factors that keep them in their current jobs. Very
interesting.

It all sounds easy right? Pay your people well, create a positive work
environment, invest in training and professional development and create
flexible work hours for your employees. So why does it seem that
companies are not paying attention to this feedback? We have to take
some of the data with a grain of salt. If an employee is under performing
or in a disciplinary situation, they are likely dissatisfied with their job.
Could this have impacted the survey results? Possibly.

But here is the reality. Companies have to pay top performers well and
design compensation plans that reward overachievement if they want to
keep them around. I worked for an executive who used to always tell me
“Chris, if you pay people more than they are worth, they will be happy
and more productive.” I have witnessed well-designed compensation
plans retain and satisfy top performers. Unfortunately, compensation is
not the only factor to employee retention.

What about the working parents who are stressed out because their
manager gives them a hard time when they have to go pick up their sick
child in the middle of the day? Or the parents who would love to go
watch their child play sports, but feel pressured to stay in the office?
How about the person with a personal appointment that falls in the
middle of the day? These issues also impact an employee’s morale and
loyalty.

As a manager, I have tried several different approaches to keeping

morale, tenure and productivity high. The one that worked the best was
the family focus I developed within my team. That meant family always
came first. If your child was sick, you stayed home to take care of him or
her. If your spouse or significant other had an important doctor
appointment, you went with them. And of course, the famous Rudy rule,
“funerals mandatory”. This untraditional approach to employee relations
created an atmosphere that made my managers want to work harder.
When they had time away from the office, they came in early the next
day. When they had a mid-day appointment, they worked through lunch.
I never asked them to, they proactively did. Providing opportunities for
employees to be happy outside of work makes them happier and more
productive in work. I strongly believe this approach works and is effective
in any work environment.

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Now don’t get me wrong, business needs to happen. Everyone has

commitments and responsibilities within the company. You have to be
creative and flexible to create additional ways to keep your employees
productive, regardless of the circumstances. Take remote access for
example. In today’s world of technology, it is both simple and affordable
to keep employees productive outside of the office. Creating a system
for remote access to the company network will allow your employees to
work from home and stay more productive.

I have a friend who works in technology sales and does not have a way
to do his job in any capacity outside of normal office hours. When I
asked him why, he informed me that remote access was only given to
the top performing sales people? See a trend here? I found the reason
puzzling. What good reason can you come up with for not giving all of
your sales people the ability to sell and be productive outside of the
office? It is probably the best return on an investment your company will
have.

I have worked for many managers in my career and I have seen both
ends of the spectrum. From the manager that becomes irate when you
have to take your child to the doctor, to the manager that would make
sure I ordered (and he would always pay) a dessert to bring home to my
wife before we ended our late night business meetings.

The bottom-line is that top performing employees should be taken care

of. By focusing on compensation, work/life balance and ongoing training
and professional development, you will create a company that retains
and grows its employees, ultimately creating a high performing, more
productive and more profitable organization.

Christopher Thompson is the Founder and President of Catch 22

Solutions, a sales performance consulting company and a former
Director of Sales at PC Connection, Inc. For more information visit
http://www.catch22solutions.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Thompson

http://EzineArticles.com/?Retaining-Top-Performers&id=638626

www.gklim.com
 23

Retaining Good Employees

By Vickie Adair

Companies with high employee turnover rates are losing not only
valuable resources but also substantial money. Different studies come
up with different costs, but these range from $7,000 - $9,000 to replace
an hourly low-wage employee and up to $45,000 to replace a mid-level
salaried employee. Some estimates on the cost of replacing the average
employee are over $125,000. The Saratoga Institute and Hewitt
Associates estimate the productivity cost of replacing employees can
cost 1 to 2.5 times the salary of the job opening.

Aside from the actual cost of hiring and training new employees,
turnover can also contribute to customer-service disruption, declines in
morale among remaining employees, and loss of corporate knowledge.
Turnover has the highest cost in jobs requiring specialized skills, such as
nursing and information technology, and jobs in middle or high level
management. Many companies and organizations are embracing HR
talent management programs that evaluate the issues of employee
retention, and far too many are not.

Is employee retention going to become a major issue for your company?

Well, according to the Gallop organization, 71% of your employees
already would consider leaving for a better or more appealing
opportunity. Combine that statistic with the current positive state of the
economy, low unemployment rate and flexible work arrangements
available, and it becomes clear that employees now have more choices
than ever before. Now, let's add in the fact that over the next few years
while 76 million Baby Boomers begin to retire, the upcoming Generation
X (ages 25-34) has a population of only 44 million people, and it
becomes clear that each year there will be fewer people available for
work.

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 24

If your business is highly employee critical, then employee retention is

one of the primary measures of the health of your organization. If you
are currently losing critical staff members, you can safely bet that other
employees are looking as well. And while few of us would turn down
more money, according to most studies, money is not the primary tool
for retaining employees. A few simple steps that companies can take to
help retain the employees they have and can go a long way in keeping
employees happy and productive.

Employees are people and want what most people want: flexible work
schedules, appreciation, training for performance improvement,
performance incentives, and clear direction on exactly what is expected
of them. If the company is sincerely interested in the employee doing
well, usually the employee will do well.

Flexible Schedules

Up until recently, "flexible work arrangements" meant that if you worked

late on Wednesday, then you could come in late or leave early
Thursday. Now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics about thirty
percent of full-time employees in the United States have true flexible
schedules that allow them to balance work and private lives. A growing
number of employees are from dual-career couples, have child and/or
elder care responsibilities, or are baby boomers, and these factors
create a growing demand for flexible work schedules. Because flexible
work arrangements challenge many traditional assumptions about how,
where and when work gets done in many industries, developing and
rolling out such a program takes careful planning.

Training

Because employees involved in ongoing training feel that their employer

is interested in them doing a better job and cares enough about them to
make an investment in their development, a direct link exists between
training and employee retention. While training has always been
considered a means for positive change and increased employee
performance in any business, only recently have HR experts realized
that training is a key tool in employee retention. An employee must have
the tools, time and training necessary to do their job well – or they will
move to an employer who provides them.

Performance Incentives

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 25

Employees have a human need to feel rewarded, recognized and

appreciated. Sometimes just a thank you or a plaque will do, but
realistically, work is about the money, and almost every individual wants
more. I suggest offering performance based bonuses. Surveys show that
employees view bonuses more favorably than they do raises.
Employees have extra incentive to work for something tangible, and
bonuses keep other employees from feeling unfairly treated when
someone else gets a raise and they do not. People understand others
getting a reward for a one time achievement, and know that they had the
same opportunity. Commissions and bonuses that are easily calculated
on a daily, weekly, or other basis, and easily understood, raise
motivation for doing a job well and help retain staff.

Clear Directions

Changing expectations keep employees nervous and make employees

feel insecure and unsuccessful. While job growth is important, the need
for a specific framework within which people clearly know what is
expected from them while they expand their horizons is most important.
A motivated employee wants to contribute to work areas outside of his
specific job description. Your best employees, those employees you
want to retain, seek frequent opportunities to learn and advance, but
they need clear directions that fit within the company’s vision for that
development.

Finally, remember that employees are people, so let them bring their
human selves to work, and performance and production will increase.

Vickie Adair is the senior technical writer at Media A-Team

http://www.mediaateam.com and also publishes as a freelance writer.
She writes for http://www.houstonmanufacturers.com , a website for
Houston manufacturers, providers, and suppliers, and
http://www.natural-products-directory.com , a directory of online
business that sell or manufacture organic and/or natural products.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vickie_Adair

http://EzineArticles.com/?Retaining-Good-Employees&id=702835

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 26

Maintaining People Places &

Retaining Staff
By Karin Syren

It should go without saying that there is no better way to maintain a

carefully created People Place than to hang on to your existing loyal
producers. Unfortunately, not nearly enough emphasis is applied in this
area. Begin by taking note of who these employees are.

Retain Proven Performers

Utilize your existing personnel resources – be aware of the experience,

skills and ambitions of current employees. Get out and be visible among
your staff – they are your most valuable resource.

One of the leading causes of discontent is poor placement, the

consequences of which are felt at all levels. Unfortunately, all too often
these days, any available body is thrown at a position or a set of
responsibilities and it’s called a done deal. There’s no better way for an
employer to shoot himself in the foot, taking down an otherwise
productive staff member with him.

If there are no openings available to rectify an existing misplacement,

consider expanding the current responsibilities of valued staff members
to maximize their valuable experience. Make the most of their know-how
in other ways in your organization, such as implementing a mentoring
program and offering the challenge to your trusted employees who have
“topped out.”

Perhaps these staff members would be interested in forming a team of

administrative interviewers, or in developing and executing an
administrative orientation program. The possibilities are endless.

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 27

Perhaps there is a lateral move to a position that would better fit

expanding skills, experience and changing interests. Go to great lengths
to utilize your existing resources. It is always the less expensive, more
efficient route.

Don’t underestimate the power of simple recognition in retaining valuable

staff. You may not have the wherewithal or the mechanism in place to
reward staff members in a tangible way, but that should not keep you
from establishing a program to single them out with a “pat on the back.”
A small gift at the next company function, a monthly recognition
luncheon, a name in the employee news or on the bulletin board are
simple and cost effective, but nonetheless expressions of appreciation.

Know Your Leaders From your Managers

There is perhaps no concept more important than this. Loyal employees

can be forgiving of much, but misapplication in this area is often the
straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back. Much of the rest will be
naturally addressed by one who knows the fundamental difference
between these two concepts.

The rule of thumb here is:

Manage processes and procedures - lead, guide & teach people.

If you are experiencing problems, determine whether you and your

leadership staff are confusing these two areas. While an effective
management team will often need to be engaged in both, they are not
interchangeable, and like oil and water, they don’t mix.

It really is that simple, not necessarily easy, but definitely simple. It’s no
surprise that people respond to the human approach and there’s little in
management of humanity. By nature of the definition, leaders are out in
front, rarely expecting of their followers what they have not first paved
the way for. Occasionally leaders are bringing up the rear, but then only
to protect the rear flank.

The mature leader possesses leadership sophistication, a ripeness of

attitude, in relating to any given situation, that each member of the
leadership team has gained as a result of experience. There is
openness and a willingness to continue the personal growth process.

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 28

Interpersonal skills are of paramount importance. Leadership must be

non-discriminatory, developing solid working relationships across all
levels. This may appear to be blatantly obvious, but sadly is all too often
overlooked in the name of accelerated organizational progress. Both
leaders and managers must be willing to facilitate conflict resolution, as
well as to confront issues surrounding relations between teams,
departments and organizational levels.

An effective leader has a sincere concern for the success of those he

leads, treating staff members as individuals, giving credit, taking
pleasure in making people look good. A great leader keeps the objective
as simple as possible, always promoting understanding, always acting
as a role model, and standing out of the way, not interfacing
unnecessarily, so staff can get on with their work.

An effective leader will make the difference between a successful

administration and a failure. The most brilliant processes, designed and
directed by the most able managers will fall flat at some point if the
leadership is not right. It is not necessary to prioritize purpose over
people, or vice versa. If leadership has done its homework, everyone in
the organization will arrive at the vision simultaneously.

Karin Syren CTACC, is a Strategic Life Planning Coach specializing in

the versatile EffectivenessCoaching© model. She works with leaders in
all areas, at all levels, to increase their personal and professional
effectiveness by learning to live unique, powerful and significant lives.
Follow the link to learn more about The Commonsense Interview –
Effective Choices Made Easier, and learn the keys to successful
interviewing, a valuable seminar for hiring managers or anyone who
wants to perfect the art of communicating with a purpose. For details
and to register, http://www.solushunz.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karin_Syren

http://EzineArticles.com/?Maintaining-People-Places-and-Retaining-
Staff&id=173863

www.gklim.com
 29

Recruiting and Retaining Top Sales

People
By Rick Johnson

Two of the biggest issues facing the industry today are recruitment of
sales personnel and retention. Problems in this area may not be due to
bad hires or low unemployment rates. If they are related to bad hires
then it means you don’t fire well. You are not holding people
accountable. If that’s the case, it only stands to reason that you are
probably overpaying a sizable portion of your sales force, as they are not
performing as “A” players.

The first thing you must do is a gut-wrenching honest assessment of

your personnel. This must be done both quantitatively and subjectively.
Measurements must be in place. You cannot manage what you cannot
measure.. Once you do have a sales system with measurement you
must complete your personnel assessment. Upgrade your sales force to
minimum acceptable standards. It would be exceptionally rare to find any
distributor that didn’t have at least one salesperson that wasn’t
performing up to expectations. “If you pull the gun, don’t be afraid to
shoot.” Being fearful of sales consequences by terminating a
salesperson is the lifeblood of mediocrity in a sales force.

Question: Is your sales force prepared and held accountable?

Conduct an assessment. Do this for each sales rep. Answer the
following questions honestly and fairly. Use this scale as a guide:

1. Very Little

2. Somewhat but needs improvement

3. Meets acceptable standards

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 30

4. Above expectations

5. Walks on water

Number Question

Assign Assessment Score for each question

1 Meets revenue and margin objectives ----------------------------Score

2 Follows through on all major issues --------------------------------Score

3 Does not panic when facing a challenge and uses all resources
effectively--------------------------------------------------------------------------Score

4 Is confident and knows how to effect change -----------------Score

5 Committed to territory and account penetration planning------Score

6 Is clearly focused and has established priorities-----------------Score

7 Is well thought of and respected by their peers------------------Score

Interpretation:

28 – 35: You have identified an “A” player.

21 – 28: May indicate a solid performer but additional training and

mentoring may be advisable to help them reach their maximum potential.

0 – 21: Needs serious attention. Replacement may be the only answer.

“It is OK to carry your wounded but you must bury your dead.”

Once you have done an assessment and established new acceptable

standards the situation you find yourself in may be due to the fact that
you don’t clearly recognize your employees as one of your core
competencies.

Admittedly, they don’t fit the purest definition of core competency as

stated in “Facing the Forces of Change”, but it is a fact that it is your
employees who are responsible for creating profit.

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 31

Once you accept that concept, your next step is to make people part of
your strategic initiatives. That means becoming an “Employer of Choice”
– someone everyone would like to work for. The following attributes are
absolute musts in becoming an “Employer of Choice:”

• A personnel skills inventory: Questions would include: What

functional area or position is ultimately desired? What interim positions
would help you on your way to reaching this desired position? What
training do you need to accomplish this? To which area and branch
office(s) would you be willing to relocate, if any? List the languages you
speak fluently. Hobbies/Interests. Experience in any field including
computers, marketing, sales, distribution, and management. All training
and education.

• People are the company’s highest priority (people aren’t profit but
without people there are no profits)

• Pay at market wages

• Recognize employee contributions with praise and awards

• Have a well organized and defined orientation and training

program

• Review your total compensation programs annually. Do market

testing to ensure you are paying competitive wages.

• Make sure Human Resources is more than just one person

handling insurance and benefits.

• Create an E.A.P. (Employee Assistance Program)

• Do more than annual performance reviews. Insist that all

managers meet with their employees for a minimum of ½ hour once a
month documenting the pluses and minuses of their performance.

• Use the monthly informal evaluations to complete the annual

appraisals (example of this form follows).

Informal Monthly Employee Review

Date:

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Supervisor Name:

Employee Name:

Dept.

Positive contributions or strengths demonstrated:

Negative issues, problems or weaknesses demonstrated:

Recommended Action

Supervisor Signature

Employee Signature

“ A warning. . .make sure you have assessed your team fairly and
removed the bad apples from the barrel.”

If you still are too small to adopt some of these initiatives, that’s OK, as
long as you make your people your highest priority, they will notice.

• If you have a recruiter, use them. Do not allow sales management

to waste time recruiting or screening new applicants. If you don’t have a
recruiter, assign a non-revenue producing person to screen sales
applicants based on specific guidelines.

• Create a probationary program that has a definite timeline and a

plan for improvement that is measurable. It should be crystal clear to the
employee that they either meet the criteria in the improvement plan or
they are terminated. This follows your assessment rating.

• Create both a formal and informal communication channel.

• You must build the human resource strategy, “The People Plan,”
into your business plan or strategic plan.

http://www.ceostrategist.com – Sign up to receive “The Howl” a free

monthly newsletter and get your choice of CEO Strategist's Hiring and

www.gklim.com
 33

Interview Guide or The Guide to Effective Training Sessions, valuable

resources for all levels of management. The Howl addresses real world
industry issues. – Straight talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson,
expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder
of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain
competitive advantage. Dr. Eric “Rick” Johnson ( rick@ceostrategist.com
) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm
specializing in Distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory
capacity with distributor executives in board representation, executive
coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the
changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You
can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit
http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.Need a speaker for
your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Johnson

http://EzineArticles.com/?Recruiting-and-Retaining-Top-Sales-
People&id=379898

www.gklim.com
 34

Retaining Employees - 10 Steps To

Keep Them Happy
By Aaron Davis

It seems like it is becoming increasingly difficult to retain employees in

the IT world these days. I started talking to co-workers and friends about
this and came up with 10 things to do that will surely keep your
employees happy so that they stay put!

Perform annual reviews on time - this means ON or before their

anniversary date. Nothing makes an employee feel de-valued more than
wondering what management thinks of their performance (and not
getting a raise)

Flexible work schedules - now I know a lot of people will disagree with
this but why have IT people in the office all the time. With broadband
access available almost anywhere, there is no reason not to give some
"work from home" time (as long as their performance warrants it).

Find out what type of compensation motivates them - this is probably the
most important one of all. Some people like money, some like praise and
promotion, some like the R&D work, some like time off, etc. Sit down
with each one of your employees and find out what they want! (What a
concept!)

Use an agile process for IT - this doesn't necessarily mean THE agile
methodology but a process for IT projects that doesn't suck the life out of
people by putting too much red tape in place.

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 35

Provide company sponsored "outside" activities - employees love to be

given time outside of work with the team to blow off steam. This can be
as simple as a round of golf or an early happy hour.

Give them input and use it - if employees give input on projects and are
ignored, you might as well be telling them that they SUCK! Of course, it
has to be relevant input.

Bonuses - this one could really be covered by the compensation point

above but everyone loves money! If they are doing a good job they are
enabling your company to make money so share the wealth.

40 hour work weeks - this is a big one! There are always times when you
will need to have staff available beyond the normal 40 hour work week
but if it is consistent, you have a project management problem and
possibly an employee morale problem. If you don't have the latter, you
will soon.

Good hardware - don't be a cheap ass! Give your employees the latest
and greatest when it comes to computer hardware. It makes the work
more enjoyable to be using a kick ass machine and it just might make
them a bit more productive.

Cross training - don't create silos in your work environment. Nothing will
de-motivate an employee more than doing the same thing every single
day. Let people move around a bit in the projects. If you have your
project management done correctly, this should be pretty easy to do.
This also is a HUGE advantage to your organization if you start to have
turn-over.

The bottom line here is that if you don't show, with action, that you value
your employees they are going to become unhappy at some point and
leave (even the good ones). Your employees keep your business
running so if they are not happy you have nothing to make your
customers happy.

Aaron Davis is a Sr. Software Developer. He has been a

web/application developer for more than 12 years and has served the IT

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 36

industry for more than 14 years. His specialty is .NET development with
C# and SQL Server. http://www.keepitsimpleprojects.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_Davis

http://EzineArticles.com/?Retaining-Employees---10-Steps-To-Keep-
Them-Happy&id=1032579

www.gklim.com
 37

The One BIG SECRET To Retaining

Great People
By Sital Ruparelia

So what's the real secret to retaining great people?

Well, it's certainly NOT about pay and financial benefits. In fact it's quite
the opposite – it's what I refer to as the ‘Non-Financial Benefits.'

Trying to sell a product as the cheapest on the market is a difficult

strategy to follow. It is better to focus on more than just price and look at
the other services and benefits clients gain from doing business with
you.

In a similar vein, you can never compete on being the best payer in the
market place (particularly as a small business), so it is key that you are
clear about all the other reasons why people work for you, and then build
these factors into the way you then promote these to your current and
future employees.

In today's economy, the real secret to retaining people is about providing

some fantastic Non-Financial Benefits.

Your employees today no longer want a "job for life" – instead, they are
looking for a "job with life."

People want employment where they enjoy the job, the people, and the
environment and yet can still enjoy a great lifestyle away from work.

Here are 7 sure-fire ways to retain your best people using Non-Financial
Benefits:

1. Work with clients & customers who are a joy to work with -

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 38

Clients who are difficult and rude will drain both you and your team - So
tackle these customers and politely invite them to change their behavior
– or else change take their custom elsewhere - Having a client base that
appreciates and respects your team has a huge impact on your team's
motivation and loyalty towards your business

2. Create a great physical environment

Is your working environment clean, comfortable and well lit? Is it well

heated in the winter and air-conditioned in the summer? - Does the
design and décor inspire you and the team? - Look at what you can
change to make your premises a more comfortable and inspiring place
to work.

3. Provide The Right Tools To Do The Job

Do your computers, printers, tools and equipment support your team in

doing a great job and providing a great service to your patients? - Look
at what tools need repairing, updating or replacing so that your team
becomes more efficient and gets more job satisfaction.

4. Offer opportunities for flexible working

Do you offer flexible working options to help your team achieve a better
work-life balance? - Be creative in offering people the chance to work 9-
day fortnights, maybe hours to fit around their children and hobbies or
provide the option to take half a day off periodically once a month.
Whatever fits in with the operation of your business.

5. Offer "Special Leave" options

Asda, the UK supermarket chain, offers staff "School Starter leave" for
parents wishing to accompany their children on their first day at school,
"IVF leave" for those having fertility treatment and" Benidorm leave" for
older workers seeking winter sun - one of the reasons why they are
regularly voted as one of The Sunday Times "100 Best Companies To
Work For" list. - What type of "special leave" can you offer your team so
that you keep your best staff with minimal impact on operation of your
business?

6. Create a positive atmosphere & have some fun

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 39

Do you have negative team members who impact on the morale and
atmosphere of your more productive team members? - Make it a priority
to sit these people down, offer some constructive feedback and request
a change in behavior.

How often do you go out socially as a team? - How often do you and
your team enjoy pointless laughter, wind-ups and banter whilst at work?
- Lighten up, arrange regular nights out and make sure that people come
to work not just to pay the bills – but because they enjoy working for you.

7. Offer Genuine Appreciation

As human beings we crave appreciation – particularly in the work

environment. - So make it a point to regularly tell your people how much
you appreciate their hard work and value their contribution. - I suppose,
when talking about the "secrets to retaining great people" – this last point
really is "the secret."

If your team truly feels valued and appreciated then this is a huge step
towards retaining their services into the longer term. So make it a priority
to create a fabulous working environment where your team can work
with clients and colleagues they enjoy being with. An environment where
their hard work is valued and appreciated. But a work place which still
afford them the freedom and flexibility to enjoy their lives away from
work.

The stronger the non-financial benefits of working for you, the less
sensitive your team become to financial factors such as pay and
bonuses. All of which means that you can retain your staff into the longer
term with minimal cost.

So looking at this list above, what ONE change would have the biggest
impact on your staff retention figures - but require the least amount of
effort to implement?

Copyright (c) 2008 Mr. Sital Ruparelia

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 40

Sital Ruparelia, 'The Recruitment & Retention Expert', works with small
and mid-sized businesses that struggle with recruitment and retention
issues and helps them implement strategies proven to Find & Keep The
Right People quickly and cost effectively.

Receive Sital's free report, 101 Tips to Finding & Keeping The Right
People now by going to this link: http://www.authenticresourcing.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sital_Ruparelia

http://EzineArticles.com/?The-One-BIG-SECRET-To-Retaining-Great-
People&id=392738

www.gklim.com
 41

Recruiting And Retaining The Most

Talented People Without Spending
Penny
By Sital Ruparelia

Have you ever purchased a coffee from Starbucks?

How come they can charge you five times what it’s worth and we still go
and buy it? Ever wondered what’s going on here?

Well, the reason is: they are not just selling coffee – they are selling us a
lifestyle.

Their position is that coffee is more than a drink. It's an experience, an

enjoyable moment set in pleasant surroundings where we can relax,
savor the moment and engage in conversation.

In a similar vein, to recruit and retain talented right people these days
you need to offer them more than just a job, a career and a pay check.
You need to offer people the kind of lifestyle they desire at the same
time as they are working for you.

The world of work has most definitely changed in the last 10 years and
people are no longer in the market for a ‘job for life’ – instead they want
a job with life.

Businesses that succeed in offering this will succeed in finding and

keeping people.

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 42

If you can promote the lifestyle and not the job - you can succeed in
finding and keeping the best people without spending a penny.

Think about it; if you could promote a lifestyle for your staff that promised
them “less travelling,” “more time with your family,” “more time for your
hobbies,” “a healthier you,” “less stress” – how much of a problem do
you think you would have with finding and keeping people?

So how can you use this notion of lifestyle to find and keep the right
people?.

FINDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE

1. Identify the top 3 lifestyle benefits of working for your business. If you
get stuck, look at the paragraph above for ideas or speak to your existing
staff.

2. Look at how you can promote these as part of your recruitment

process. Remember to “sell the sizzle and not the steak” – i.e. promote
the benefits and not the features of working for you.

3. Have some real stories about real people that you can incorporate into
your recruitment. This will make the ideas more believable and help
people to really connect with them.

For example: “Despite working in a demanding job, John is home in time

to read a story with little Joshua and put him to bed at least three times a
week.” This is much more powerful than talking about abstract terms
such as “flexible work patterns” and “home working options”

KEEPING THE RIGHT PEOPLE

1. Ensure you are actively promoting the above benefits to your existing
people.

People always think the grass is greener elsewhere so make a point of

reminding them regularly about what is great about working for you.

2. Start developing new ways in which you can provide a better lifestyle
for your people:

- Talk, listen and observe your team. - Find out what their biggest
frustrations are with their existing lifestyles. - Are they stressed from

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 43

juggling work with a young family? Are they trying get healthy and lose
weight, but too tired to get to the gym in the evening? Do they want to
spend more time on their favorite hobby but never have the time?

3. Look at ways in which you can help them achieve these things without
compromising your business Learn about the lives of your team and then
make sure that you as an employer become the solution to their
problems, not the cause.

Initiating these changes shows people that you take a healthy interest in
their lifestyle away from work and builds a greater degree of loyalty.

You see, the foundation of any business is based on solving problems. If

your customers have a problem and you have a solution that benefits
them, then you have yourself a business.

The same applies to your people. If you can find out what the frustrations
and problems of potential employees are and you can find a solution,
then you will succeed in finding a new employee. If you can then do this
on an ongoing basis and make working for you a lifestyle decision, your
people are less likely to jump for some more money or a slightly better
job.

Just like that coffee at Starbucks, the money becomes less important as
it’s the lifestyle they are buying into, not just the job.

© 2008 Authentic Resourcing All Rights Reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sital Ruparelia, "The Recruitment & Retention

Specialist” works with small businesses that struggle with recruitment
and retention issues and helps them implement strategies proven to Find
and Keep the Right People consistently.

Sital writes a FREE newsletter twice a month with tips on how to Find
And Keep The Right People. To sign up now, visit
http://www.authenticresourcing.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sital_Ruparelia

http://EzineArticles.com/?Recruiting-And-Retaining-The-Most-Talented-
People-Without-Spending-Penny&id=286782

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 44

Retention - 10 Reminders
By Rick Johnson

Employee retention is heavily dependent upon two key factors:

1. Leadership skills of management

2. Human resource strategy

No matter how wonderful your company is, people won’t stay if their front
line supervisor is an “untrained jerk” with poor people skills. Of course, if
you have a definitive human resource strategy, the “untrained jerks” will
no longer be managing your employees. In fact, he/she will probably be
working for someone else. These words may be a little harsh but in
reality there are some managers out there with very poor people skills.
Even the manager that doesn’t exactly fit this description but lacks basic
people and leadership skills can drive employees to seek other
opportunities.

Retention Reminders

1. Managers are allowed to hold employees accountable through

discipline and provide constructive feedback, but never at the same time.

2. Managers should never ask why an employee does anything.

Responding to the word “why” requires justification and evokes
defensiveness. Try instead, “I would like to understand your reasons for.
. . .”

3. There is no such thing as “Constructive Criticism”. Criticism

creates discomfort and defensiveness. Consider reshaping the
conversation such that it becomes constructive feedback. This can be
done by taking a positive approach on every issue.

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 45

4. In making constructive feedback, managers should encourage

employees to listen to the substance of the discussion and avoid
becoming defensive. Delivering constructive feedback well should be a
key management skill and a training issue.

5. Managers should never try constructive feedback in a situation

unless they can actually suggest positive behavioral alternatives.

6. If an employee fails in a situation, the manager should recognize

his/her failure to train, develop, support or communicate with the
employee.

7. Both sides should recognize the difficulties inherent in constructive

feedback and recognize its importance in transmitting the experience
required for growth.

8. The employee should always confirm his/her understanding of the

criticism by restating it in the form, “If I understand you correctly, you are
saying. . . . Is that correct?”

9. If either party feels uncomfortable after a constructive feedback

discussion, they should say so:

a. Boss, I feel like I’ve just been punished because you. . .

b. Joe, I feel that you became defensive because you. . .

10. When the system works, you have a Win-Win situation because
you both have the same objectives. It works better if you try to help each
other. Train your managers on coaching and mentoring. It will go a long
way towards improving employee retention.

Regardless of your company size and number of employees, if you are

committed to becoming an “Employer of Choice” (EOC) you must
educate your management staff. All your managers, from warehouse

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 46

supervisors up to the President, should receive specific leadership and

people skills training. Expecting your managers to create an EOC culture
without training them in these skills is like asking Michael Jordan to play
in the World Series. He’s a superb athlete but he just doesn’t have the
skill set to play major league baseball. Provide the opportunity for your
management staff to acquire the skill set necessary to promote retention.
Remember, if your turnover rate is high, chances are there is a problem
within the management ranks of the company.
http://www.ceostrategist.com – Sign up to receive “The Howl” a free
monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. – Straight
talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale
distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a
firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need
a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com . Don’t
forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put more
profit into your business. Get the CEO Strategist Interview Guide and
Conducting an Effective Sales Training Session Guide just for signing up
for “The Howl”. Don’t forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can
help you put more profit into your business. E-mail
rick@ceostrategist.com for your special Howl discount order form.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Johnson

http://EzineArticles.com/?Retention---10-Reminders&id=558279

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 47

Keeping Good Staff Is Important,

But Keeping Your Family Is Critical
By J Timothy Connor

One of the outcomes of our lack of focus on our marriages and families
is the elimination of joy in our older age. Sure it's important to run a
good business, and we want to "make our mark" on the world with the
services and products we offer our customers. But the lack of
commitment that is becoming common in American families is promising
devastating unhappiness to business owners and executives as their
lives unfold. Regard-less of what people say, the anger and bitterness
that accompany divorce, the sadness and disconnected feelings that
children feel when one of their parents leaves under such
circumstances, all these take their toll on both us and on family
members. But the worst effect won't be felt until we get older, and the
loneliness that is the outcome of broken relationships is only now
becoming evident to those of us who didn't consider family worth the
effort when we were younger and building our businesses.

A Focus On Family

There is a huge benefit that a couple has when they look back on years
of happiness that they've had, and when they begin to talk with sons,
daughters, and grandchildren about the things they did together growing
up. Trips together, challenges from school, pranks pulled on siblings
and friends, even bad times become a joy when they've been shared
together and are unearthed in the presence of newer family members.
You have only to watch the eyes (and open mouth!) of a kid when his
grandparents open up misadventures that one of his parents had when
they were young, and the opportunity for learning that comes from
memories is stupendous for a young'un during these times. The ability
to share memories is fun, a learning experience, and most of all a joy
and comfort to people as they get older. But what if you haven't built the

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 48

foundation? You'll miss most of those remembrances, or they'll be so

tainted with unhappiness that you won't want to consider them. And
they come from a foundation worth building!

Building It Now

The time to begin building important relationships in your family is now,

while you're still building and operating your business. Sure it takes
time; sure it's work; sure it takes thought - but it's worth it! There is a
huge encouragement to people when they can look back on the
achievements and troubles of mother and father, aunts, uncles,
grandparents, and great-grandparents and see that they made it
through. It helps through hard times, difficulties that seem
insurmountable, even terrible things like wars and tragedies, to know
that someone in our line dealt with the same things and was able to
overcome them.

How To Do It

Maintaining relationships as a couple or in a family requires planning like

anything else, except that it's easier to plan! The main thing is breaking
the time out, and being sure to use that time for interaction, listening,
and understanding. There are several modern "conveniences" that have
greatly limited that time, and consequently severely limited our ability to
do it. What are they? Television, video games, and internet. In a study
done in 2005, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that children ages 8-
18 spend an average of 44.5 hours per week in front of a television,
game, or computer screen. Neilsen Research found it to be 8 hours and
14 minutes per day for the average American - 57 hours and 38 minutes
per week. Most of that time is non-interactive, and none of it is face-to-
face interaction. How, then, do we expect to become better at face-to-
face relationships with our spouse or our kids? Somewhere in here is a
big "Duh!". Here are a few thoughts that the author has personally tried,
and that work. But keep in mind that you're going to hear some
grumping at the beginning - in our age it takes time to get over the habits
we've been building!

>Limit the amount of TV you and your family watch for two or three
months (or more!). Now this is a zinger, and it takes about two weeks to
get through "withdrawal" when you take away the television, but the
results are gratifying - and interestingly good.

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 49

>Plan some interactive activities. It might be cards, board games, or a

kid's favorite from my experience: reading together or story telling.

>Try doing some things outdoors. Cooking out together, playing

badminton, throwing a ball. One caution: those people you'll discover
next door to your house are called "neighbors", and they're supposed to
be there. Don't be alarmed when they appear. Introduce yourself.

>Do a date night with your spouse - and pick a restaurant WITHOUT a
television! They're getting harder to find because people are not used to
having to interact with one another.

>Take a drive in the country. This used to be popular, and although it's
expensive with gas prices, it's still a lot of fun.

>Historical vacations, one of our very favorite things. Read a book

together about some part of the country with interesting historical
possibilities, and then go there for a visit. We've read "Captains
Courageous", and followed it by a visit to New England (especially
Mystic Seaport). Mark Twain's "Roughing It" was followed by visits out
west to his old stomping grounds.

Use your imagination and begin building memories with your spouse and
family. It will pay lasting dividends both now and especially in the future.

The author of this article, Tim Connor, is president and founder of

Rodeo! Performance Group, Inc., an Ocala, Florida-based group of
facilitators working with businesses and executives who want to make
their businesses competitive on a global scale. Tim can be contacted at
timconnor@rodeopg.com , or by phone at 1-877-284-0009. Visit Rodeo!
on the web at http://www.rodeopg.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Timothy_Connor

http://EzineArticles.com/?Keeping-Good-Staff-Is-Important,-But-Keeping-
Your-Family-Is-Critical&id=989024

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 50

Customized Employee Retention

Plans
By James Robbins

As a husband I have spent a lot of time in the dark. I was hoping that
when the movie "What Women Want" came out in theaters I would at
last be given the answer to the question most men spend the first 5
years of marriage trying to figure out. What I have learned along the way
however is how women vary greatly in exactly what it is they want. I
guess the same thing could be said of men with a few exceptions.

Creating a company wide retention program for you organization is kind

of like telling a room full of men that to make their wife feel appreciated
they just need to start bringing home flesh flowers every week. There
would be a percentage of wives that would be very happy at this, a
percentage that would consider it a nice gesture but are really not that
into flowers, and another percentage that might simply answer, "not
tonight honey!" The point is each woman is different and one size will not
fit all. The same is true of employee retention.

Company wide initiatives can have a hit and miss effect. Certainly for
some, the new program will make a difference, but we are not interested
in retaining just some. We want to have the best chance at keeping them
all. The more individualized you can make your retention program; the
more effective it is going to be. In fact the companies with the highest
retention are the ones who spend the most time engaging each
employee one on one. How on earth do I make an individualized
retention program with limited time and budget?

Follow these four steps:

1. Set up meetings with each of your direct reports.

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 51

These can be formal or informal; it's up to you. During these meetings

you want to find out three basic facts: What keeps them here, and what
would drive them away and what would they like to do more of in the
future. There are any ways to find out this information. Your questions
can be direct or subtle. Here are some examples.

What do you like most about your job here?

What are the things about this organization that really motivate you?

What would be something that might cause you to look elsewhere for
employment?

Is there anything here that you find challenging to your motivation?

Are there any things you would like to see changed with your job or the
team you work with?

What would you like to do more of in the future?

Again these are just a few examples. You have to figure out the best
way to gather this information. Is it in your office, or over a casual lunch?
You can best decide based on your relationship and style.

2. Create a report for each employee that you interviewed and break it
into three sections.

In one area list all of their Motivators, the things they like most about
their job and make them want to stay. The second section is for De-
motivators. Here you want to list the things that if not dealt with might
lead them to look elsewhere for work. The third area covers what the
employee wants to see added to their job.

3. Make a commitment to eliminate at least one of their de-motivators

over the next 30 days.

4. Make a commitment to do something about their desired future in

the next 30 days.

See below for an example.

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 52

Employee: Jane Doe

Motivators

Team culture (most everyone on the team is a lot of fun to work with)

Weekly staff meetings are a lot of fun and motivational

Believes in the mission of the organization

De-motivators

Don't get to give much input on direction of projects

One of team members is incredibly challenging to work with

Job can be mundane at times

What they would like to see happen:

Jane wants to get a chance to learn some management skills, and be

more involved in some of the creative processes in our project
management.

Commitment for next 30 days

Pull Jane in on next project brainstorming meeting.

Send Jane to an entry-level management seminar.

There are other things on Jane's list but when you have another 10
employees to go through, its best to keep your commitments
manageable. In this situation the manager is able to make two very easy
commitments to Jane that will significantly enrich her job and her
feelings about her future. Once you have completed these reports you
will also want to look for any common themes among your employees.
For example maybe seven other people all have a problem working with
that one challenging team member. Those are numbers you don't want
to ignore.

The whole process is incredible simple and yet it is rarely done. It does
take some time, but not nearly as much as finding a replacement for
Jane. Review these reports in 90 days to check your own progress as a

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 53

manager. You want to be eliminating the de-motivators while finding

ways to increase the motivators. You should aim to do this process
quarterly, as it will make an immediate impact on your retention and level
of engagement for your employees.

To learn more about building customized employee retention plans, sign-

up for our free 7-day retention course. James Robbins is a leadership
consultant and dynamic speaker helping organizations create engaging
and motivated workplaces. To find out more go to
www.jamesrobbins.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Robbins

http://EzineArticles.com/?Customized-Employee-Retention-
Plans&id=749874

www.gklim.com
 54

The Four Cultures of Employee

Retention
By Marnie Green

Despite fluctuating economic times and increased globalization of

American jobs, most employers are finding it hard to keep good workers.
The reality of today's job market is that workers are expecting more from
their employers and are not afraid to move on if their needs are not met
by your organization.

Based on compelling data from the Society for Human Resource

Management and others who study workforce trends, leading
organizations must take time to analyze their retention realities and
ensure that the valuable employees they currently have are not seeking
greener pastures.

How do great organizations maintain low levels of turnover and high

levels of employee satisfaction? The answer is found in one word:
culture.

Organizations with high rates of employee retention concentrate on

creating four distinct cultures that keep people focused on the
organization and its goals. The purpose of this article is to explore these
four cultures and to recommend practical strategies for developing these
cultures in your workplace. Effective retention cultures include an intense
focus on choice, balance, development and care.

The Culture of Choice

Donald N. Smith, the president of Burger King said, "The individual

choice of garnishment of a burger can be an important point to the
consumer in this day when individualism is an increasingly important
thing to people." Burger King recognized long ago that Americans expect

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 55

to have multiple choices each day. Workers are not an exception to this
rule. Today's employees are looking for choice in the methods they use
for completing a job, in the benefits they receive from work, and in when
and how they report to work.

In the last two decades, we've seen an explosion in the types of

employee benefits offered by employers. We've seen an increased
acceptance of telecommuting and flex-time. Choices in the tools they
use, the methods they employ, and the recognition they receive are all
characterized as innovations in human resource management. In short,
we continue to learn more and more about employee engagement and
the link between empowerment and retention.

Do your employees have choices every day? If not, they might soon be
exercising their choice to leave.

The Culture of Balance

Even with increased acceptance of flextime and work/life balance

initiatives, employers indicate that stress levels still remain high in their
workplaces. Employers with lower levels of turnover recognize the
increasingly important issue of balance and are addressing this need
with proactive programs to help workers find satisfaction at home and on
the job. This trend is being driven by a growing population of women in
the workforce. The trend is expected to continue with young women
surpassing men in professional degree acquisition.

Progressive organizations will recognize these trends and look to their

increasing population of women to drive their culture of balance. And,
while some organizations have already responded to this call, those
organizations with professions that are typically dominated by males
may find this to be an increasingly important issue in terms of attracting
and retaining workers. For example, in the historically male-dominated
world of professional accounting, firms traditionally expected high levels
of billable hours and little time off. Some firms are now recognizing the
value of creating a culture of balance by offering increased levels of
mandatory vacation each year. Coupled with flexible hours and family-
friendly benefits, these firms are recognizing the impact a balance-
focused work culture can have on the retention of top performers.

The Culture of Development

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Bestselling authors Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans, in their

book, Love'Em or Lose'Em, say that any organization that ignores the
ambitions of good people can't expect to keep them. High rates of
retention are clearly linked to the amount of attention the employee gets
in terms of their professional development and growth. When employees
feel that their career goals have been acknowledged and that they are
continuing to be challenged on the job, they are likely to stick around.
Employees who feel stagnated, ignored, or bored will likely start to look
for other opportunities. So how do great organizations create cultures of
development?

A culture of development can be cultivated through a variety of tools.

Training, mentoring, and clear career paths all contribute to this culture.
However, the strongest culture of development is created by the first line
supervisor who works with the employee each day. Every supervisor and
manager has an opportunity to show that they are interested in the
employee's growth and development by asking the right questions and
by understanding where the employee wants to go professionally.

Kaye and Jordan suggest that managers and supervisors have a regular
"stay" discussion with each employee where the following questions are
explored:

• What learning opportunities can we support?

• What work challenges would "turn you on?"

• What can we do to help you be more fulfilled on the job?

• What will keep you here?

Simply by asking, managers and supervisors can begin to create a

culture of development, and hence increased levels of retention.

A Culture of Care

R. Brayton Bowen of the Howland Group said, "In a strict sense, the kind
of motivation we need to be talking about in today's environment is
inspired rather than induced." As Bowen indicates employees will be
motivated to stay put and work at higher levels if they feel that they are
cared for and if they care about the work they are doing. In other words,
employees must feel a sense of inspiration to fully commit to their daily
activities.

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In organizations where retention levels are high and turnover is low,

research has found that employees find some level of inspiration from
their jobs. Such inspiration might be a sense of contributing to the
greater good. It might be a commitment to the team and its goals.
Inspiration may be derived by following a committed and ethical leader.
However the inspiration is created, employees must be lead to care
about their work and about the organization.

How is a culture of care created? Recently a study was done with

employees of a small city government. Written employee surveys
indicated that morale was low and that many of the employees, including
long-term employees, were considering leaving the organization for
other opportunities. In fact, turnover was at high levels in comparison
with previous years. In a small organization such as this one, with less
than 30 employees, the results of high turnover are devastating to the
organization, its productivity, and its reputation in the community.

Upon further exploration of the survey results through one-on-one

interviews, it was discovered that the reason the employees were
dissatisfied was because they felt that they were not being listened to by
a new manager. Some employees said they were not feeling respected.
They reported that a newly promoted supervisor often trivialized their
skills and did not recognize their day-to-day achievements. After further
review, the following conclusions were found:

• The leaders, including managers and supervisors, directly impacted the

culture and the sense of care within the organization.

• The leaders did not recognize the impact their behaviors were having
on the morale of the workforce.

• For morale, and thus retention levels, to improve, the leadership team,
many of whom were new to the organization, needed to address their
own beliefs and skills as it related to being leaders.

In this example, retention and overall employee satisfaction was being

directly impacted by the level of empathy and attention provided by the
organization's first and second line leaders. It is clear that the
relationship between these key players and employees is a major factor
in employee retention today.

Conclusion

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We have all read the ominous reports that indicate the workforce will
shrink in numbers over the next ten years with the anticipated exit of the
baby boomers. It is clear that organizations will continue to be
challenged to attract and retain qualified and committed employees. It is
now time to turn our attention internally, to the four cultures of employee
retention. Use the following questions to explore the four cultures in your
organization:

• Does your organization provide ample choice to employees throughout

the work experience? Do employees feel that they can control their day-
to-day work life?

• Does your organization recognize the increased need for work/life

balance by employees? How can you continue to communicate this
priority to employees?

• How is your organization fostering a culture of development? Besides

the traditional development strategies such as training and tuition
reimbursement, what is your organization doing to foster a sense of
continuous learning and development at all levels? What role do
supervisors and managers play in creating this culture?

• Do your employees feel "cared for?" Have the organization's leaders

created a sense of commitment among the staff by showing they care?

With the national average length of employment hovering around one

and a half years per job, it makes sense to explore what it takes to retain
and develop a committed staff. Retention, while often considered a
factor of economic times, is now being considered a long-term strategic
goal for organizations that recognize its value.

Marnie E. Green is Principal Consultant of the Chandler, AZ-based

Management Education Group, Inc. Green is a speaker, author, and
consultant who helps organizations develop confident leaders. Contact
Green at phone: 480-705-9394 email:
mgreen@managementeducationgroup.com web site:
http://www.managementeducationgroup.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marnie_Green

http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Four-Cultures-of-Employee-
Retention&id=912847

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 59

Manage Talent Or Lose It

By Larry Galler

It doesn’t show up on a balance sheet or a profit and loss statement but

one of a company’s most valuable assets is the talent of the staff. Yet,
unless that talent is properly managed, it can be underutilized,
undeveloped, and unappreciated which creates dissatisfaction and
eventually high turnover.

If the goal is to build a talented staff there must be a culture in place or

created. That culture makes it important to first elevate the talents of the
current staff and then, as more people are needed, hire highly talented
people, train them to understand their part in an environment that honors
and respects them, motivates them, illustrates a career path as a long-
term part of a company where they can utilize their talents to the benefit
of themselves, the company, and of each individual within the company.

That talent-rich culture must come from the top of the company and,
when it is properly driven there are few restrictions on growth and
company-wide energy. Creating a culture that manages talent well is
important throughout every aspect of staff development and company
development. Identifying talent is (or should be) a company-wide
activity. When talented staffers are identified they should be challenged
and encouraged to stretch their boundaries, seek larger goals, and
perform at a higher capacity or to take on more responsibility faster. It
may take the creation of a mentoring program with a high degree of
personal feedback to make that fast-track career advancement
successful. When it is working well it accelerates growth, focus,
teamwork, and company spirit. The whole company profits from a
culture that creates an environment where talent can grow and flourish.

If a talent-centric culture is not created the results are just the opposite.
Talented people become de-motivated, become frustrated and either
look for more challenging positions elsewhere or they become inculcated

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with the culture of mediocrity and ease off. The whole company
languishes, becomes a less competitive follower instead of the hard-
driving, cutting edge leader so create a company wide culture to manage
your talent well or lose it.

Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives,

professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the
long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column,
"Front Lines with Larry Galler" For a free coaching session, email Larry
for an appointment - Larry@larrygaller.com

Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Galler

http://EzineArticles.com/?Manage-Talent-Or-Lose-It&id=757980

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 61

Top Retention Tools - Survey

Results
By L. John Mason

Tips for leaders, owners, managers which can lead to "engagement,"

loyalty, and then retention. A strong retention policy will also help to
create a positive work environment that will help attract the best people
which make your hiring practices easier.

Consider adopting one or more of the following suggestions to make

your workplace more attractive and to better help your workforce "Fall in
Love" with your organization. Most of these suggestions can be offered
inexpensively or at no cost.

1. Work/Life Flexibility- Flextime, teleworking, 4/10's

2. Meaningful Rewards/Recognition - Feedback, public praise, $

bonus', "thank you Bucks", peer recognition, press releases

3. Integrated Hiring Program- Job Benchmarking (styles/behaviors

and values) and fitting in with culture or team more than just reviewing
past skills and experience. A great job "fit" will keep people engaged.
Also, reduces costly hiring mistakes...

4. Regular Communication meetings with management...

transparency (clear vision) Leaders sell the vision so personnel know
their role... Create "Buy-in"

5. Follow through with vision/purpose (consistent and with integrity)

6. Employee input with key decisions-part of process from start

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 62

7. Good Management Team promoting good relations, managers

spend 10 minutes each week with each person supervised (helps to
connect,) learn employees job function and come help when necessary

8. Growth Opportunities- training, mentoring, developing- Room to

Grow... Job Rotations (keep jobs more interesting and expand your
people's skills and experience)

9. Enjoyable Work Environment- Fun! (Coaching available.)

10. Trust Managers, peers, etc...

11. Community Involvement Projects suggested by work force and

commitment to these projects with support. "Global" perspective for the
"greater good".

12. Best Benefit Package affordable (can be $$$ but worthy of

consideration)

The Human Resource Professionals participating in this survey have

used these techniques successfully within their organization... Now it's
time for you to give these a fair chance to succeed in your organization.
Contact Dr. Mason for implementation tips...

L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the author of the best selling "Guide to Stress
Reduction." Since 1977, he has offered Leadership Success & Executive
Coaching and Training. Please visit the Stress Education Center's
Human Resource page at Business Solutions for HR Professionals for
articles, free ezine signup, and learn about the new telecourses that are
available. If you would like information or a targeted proposal for training
or coaching, please contact us at (360) 593-3833. If you are looking to
promote your training or coaching career, please investigate the [
http://www.dstress.com/training_cert.html ] Professional Stress
Management Training and Certification Program for a secondary source
of income or as career path.

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Results&id=783772

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 63

Retention of Key Workers is #1

Entrepreneurial Challenge
By Susan Gauff

A recent issue of Entrepreneur Magazine reports on a poll conducted in

conjunction with PricewaterhouseCoopers to determine the biggest
challenges for entrepreneurs. The data showed that 73% rate "retention
of key workers" as their #1 challenge. The most interesting thing about
the poll is that this issue scored almost twice as high as #2, "developing
new products and services" at 38%.

Along with reporting the data, the magazine provides a sidebar about
how to deal with the issue of retention. The headline is great, "Make
your Employees Matter" but the content is about offering competitive
retirement plans and allowing key employees to share financially in the
company's growth. Problem is, focusing on money matters does not
retain employees because it doesn't make your firm unique. Anyone can
offer competitive pay and benefits making it easy to jump from one job to
the next for more money.

Silicon Valley firms discovered this back in the late 80s and early 90s
when tech started to boom. Workers viewed all the employers in the
Valley as one big company - they jumped from firm to firm depending on
the challenge of the work or loyalty to someone they enjoyed working
with. It is still common in the technical arena for entire teams of product
development people to move together to another employer. They do this
because of the relationships and working partnerships they've
developed.

A few years ago The Gallup Organization did the largest study of
employee issues ever conducted - interviewing 30,000 successful
managers about their techniques in keeping employees satisfied. They

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 64

uncovered 12 workplace characteristics that good managers use

consistently to retain and motivate employees. Guess where money or
any kind of financial reward stood on that list? Give up? It wasn't even
mentioned.

This research resulted in an excellent book by Marcus Buckingham

called, "First Break All the Rules." The title derives from the fact that all
the basics you learned about management in B-school are not what
work for really excellent managers. The book revealed the twelve most
important rules to use. Here they are:

Employees want to

1. Know what is expected of them

2. Have the materials and equipment to do the work right

3. Have the opportunity to do what they do best every day

4. Frequently receive recognition or praise for good work

5. Have supervisors who care about them as a person

6. Be encouraged to pursue self development

7. Have their opinions count

8. Feel their job is important based on the mission/purpose of the

organization

9. Have co-workers who are committed to doing quality work

10. Have a best friend at work

11. Be talked to about their progress regularly

12. Have opportunities to learn and grow

Based on this research, Buckingham observed that "Employees don't

leave companies, they leave managers." Think back to the best job you
ever had. Wasn't it great because you enjoyed and respected your
manager? Didn't you have a great relationship with that person and the

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others with whom you worked? Loyalty to a job is really about loyalty to
the people you work with - they're the logical human connection.

So yes, Entrepreneur's headline is correct. Meet the #1 entrepreneurial

challenge by "Making Your Employees Matter" but in a very personal
way - by breaking the traditional rules.

Susan T. Gauff is Founder/CEO of Predictive Hiring Partners, Inc., a

consulting firm that provides small and medium-sized organizations with
cost-effective tools, techniques and training to hire right the first time,
every time. For further information visit the website
http://www.predictivehiring.com call 803-831-2371 or e-mail
susan@predictivehiring.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Gauff

http://EzineArticles.com/?Retention-of-Key-Workers-is-1-
Entrepreneurial-Challenge&id=958122

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 66

Employee Retention: It's a Changing

Game
By Michael Beitler

As a management consultant, I have seen some poorly conceived

retention policies at otherwise well-run companies. The philosophies
underlying these policies lack some basic knowledge of two things:

1. human nature, and

2. the changing world around us

Human Nature

Let’s start with human nature. The practice of management requires an

understanding of how people work. Successful managers can be
forgiven if they do not know how a particular machine works, or how to
debit and credit the general ledger, or how to write HTML code. But,
managers must know how people work. Specifically, they need to know
how people work well.

People are motivated by goals… their own! Organizations that help

individuals achieve their goals and career aspirations have less trouble
with retention. Are you helping your best employees achieve their goals?

I recently read some research findings that were just plain silly. The
findings you ask: Workers leave organizations for two reasons:

1. they feel mistreated or unappreciated

2. they can get more money/compensation from another organization

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The researchers went on to say, most workers are unaware of more

money at other organizations until they feel mistreated or unappreciated.
Did you catch that? If not, re-read the “two” findings.

Here’s my interpretation: If you treat your workers well and make them
feel appreciated they will stay with your organization; money is not the
primary driver for workers leaving. Help you workers achieve their goals.
I believe “appreciative” workers are more motivated than “happy”
workers.

Before you think this is more “soft” management talk, let’s look at some
“hard” facts. The average cost of hiring a new worker is one-and-a-half
times the worker’s annual salary. And, the average worker will need a
year to master his/her job skills.

The Changing World Around Us

As the world changes around us, we must change the way we think
about retention (and everything else). Gone are the days of the
homogeneous workforce. The world is being changed by unstoppable
trends: globalization and an aging workforce.

Future work teams will include three generations of workers (a 23-year-

old worker, a 48-year-old worker, and a 73-year-old worker), workers
with different religions and nationalities, and workers with dramatically
different life experiences.

The brain drain in developed countries can be slowed by retaining older,

highly skilled workers. But, that is not nearly enough. Companies must
compete globally for talent. (And remember what is necessary to retain
these individuals. We must understand their individual goals and career
aspirations.)

American companies that hope to depend on American talent exclusively

will fail miserably. American knowledge workers are losing their
competitive edge. Let’s look at some more “hard” facts:

1. In China, 42% of students earn undergraduate degrees in science or

engineering. In the U.S., the figure is less than 5%.

2. Only 70% of U.S. high school students graduate. The U.S. public
education system was recently ridiculed by a British news journal. When

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you consider that the British public school system is arguably the worst
in Europe, Americans should hear this as a wake-up call.

3. Only 32% of U.S. students leaving high school qualify to attend a four-
year college or university.

Add to this some alarming facts about off-shoring. One organization

recently said it was off-shoring jobs to India not simply because the cost
was lower, but because the quality of work was better. The off-shoring of
high-level professional jobs (such as engineering and IT) is now a
common practice.

Conclusion

Organizations must do two critical things:

1. develop retention policies that recognize the need to understand the

individual workers’ goals and career aspirations, and

2. learn how to recruit and develop talent from around the world.

These are big changes for most organizations. Is your organization

ready for these changes?

Dr. Mike Beitler is the author of "Strategic Organizational Change." Get a

free 7-part mini-course and learn more about the book at
http://www.strategic-organizational-change.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Beitler

http://EzineArticles.com/?Employee-Retention:-Its-a-Changing-
Game&id=63706

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 69

R2 = EOC --- Recruitment &

Retention = Employer of Choice
By Rick Johnson

Problems with staffing and retention may not be due to bad hires or a
low unemployment rate. In fact, they may be related to poor
management insight by not recognizing your employees as a core
competency in your business strategy. Although employees may not fit
the strictest definition of a core competency, it is a fact that your
employees are the ones responsible for creating many of your core
competencies. It is an undisputable fact that failure to recognize the
importance of employee contributions will lead to failure regardless of
your business strategy.

Recruitment and Retention

Creating a strategic plan and definitive initiatives is the easy part of the
formula for success. The difficult part is finding, recruiting and retaining
the appropriate talent combination in today’s market to carry out that
plan.
Recruitment and retention are major issues in the wholesale distribution
industry today. These issues are especially critical to the service center
industry for two reasons:

• First, distribution is one of our aged-basic industries that doesn’t

project the excitement of the high-tech industries and the dot com’s of
the new millennium (even though many have crashed and burned).

• Second, the number of employees between the ages of 25 and 44,

traditionally the bulk of the workforce, will continue to decline in the
United States for at least the next five years. The baby-boomers are
aging quickly toward retirement.

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Under these circumstances, how in the world does a distributor not only
recruit new talent, but protect the talent they have?

Questions about compensation, training, incentives, benefits and work

environment always come to the forefront. The answer is committing to
becoming an employer of choice (EOC) with as much tenacity as you
commit to being a supplier of choice, always wanting the first call and
last look.

Pay Attention

Many distribution executives pay far too little attention to this part of their
businesses. Often the mindset is that this is the “touchy-feely” stuff that’s
a non-revenue producing necessary evil. Maybe that thought process
didn’t hurt the company in the 80’s or early 90’s when unemployment in
some areas reached 10%, but that’s not the case today where the labor
unemployment rate in many markets is less than 4%. When
unemployment is that low, most people who are unemployed just don’t
want to work.

As a result, there is a lot of corporate raiding going on. Even with the
recent struggles of the automotive industry and some high-tech
industries, unemployment remains at a level that just is not conducive to
recruitment and retention.

So what’s the answer?

Going on midnight raids? Offering BMWs as signing bonuses? Paying

way above market wages? NO, the answer is building a human resource
strategy into your business plan. Get over the old paradigm that human
resource departments are too costly and of little value. In fact, those
distributors that adopt that philosophy actually spend more money by
having highly compensated managers, particularly sales managers,
running ads, receiving resumes and doing preliminary interviews when
they should be selling. The costs associated with that process as well as
the revenue lost due to extended position vacancies inevitably far
exceeds the annual costs of dedicated human resource professionals.
Secondly, a huge percentage of new hires will jump ship within 18
months if they sense the company is not committed to its employees.
They will jump if the company does not accept them into the fold
properly by offering initial orientation, subsequent training and a culture
that treats the employee as the company’s most precious assets.

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The question is not, “Can you afford to invest in this soft touchy-feely
stuff?” The question becomes, “Can you afford to not invest in your most
important asset, your employees?”

The old paradigm creates a bias against paying attention to the human
element of the workforce. Many wholesale distribution executives that do
strategic business plans initiate from the top down instead of the bottom
up often ignoring the real value of a strategic plan. The real value is the
involvement and education of your employees in completing the plan,
not in the document itself.

Are you at the mercy of your workforce?

This bias that exists in many distributors is almost as though admitting

that employees are the most precious of corporate assets will lead to an
anarchy on which owners and managers will fall at the mercy of the
workforce. Well, shake your head in disbelief if you want to, but the
reality of the situation is that you are at the mercy of your workforce. The
rules have to continue to change. If you aren’t willing to admit that and
get your head in the game then you won’t survive in the new millennium.

“People are not profits but without people there are no profits.”

Some wholesales distributors recognized their dilemma years ago. Many

of the top performers in wholesale distribution are at the top because
they strive to be employers of choice. These are forward thinking
distributors that have found solutions to their recruitment and retention
challenges. Following in their footsteps requires an initial “gut check.”
Honestly ask yourself how your employees would answer questions like:

• Do you receive counseling on a career plan?

• Is there a current wage and salary plan in place?

• Do performance incentives exist?

• Do you receive regular training and instruction?

• Do you receive performance updates and recognition beyond a

once a year chat with your boss?

• Does customer feedback play a role in performance evaluations?

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• Are suggestions reviewed and awarded?

• Is there both a formal and informal communication channel?

These questions relate to the basic core competencies of human

resources: staffing, training, rewarding, recognizing and organizing. The
business strategic plan cannot succeed without paying attention to this
part of the business. You must facilitate your employees’ involvement
and feedback into this process. This basic premise in implementation
across wholesale distribution varies according to size. The same plan for
a $20 million privately held distributor would not work for a $500 million
distributor.

EOC

To solve your recruitment and retention problems you must strive to

become an Employer of Choice. To accomplish that objective you must
have a Human Resources strategy that is integrated into your corporate
strategic plan that acknowledges and recognizes the employees as the
company’s most precious asset.

Dr. Rick Johnson ( rick@ceostrategist.com ) is the founder of CEO

Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership.
CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company
executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching
and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or
maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-
750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.

Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois

and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital
University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on
Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He’s also a published book
author with four titles to his credit: “The Toolkit for Improved Business
Performance in Wholesale Distribution,” the NWFA & NAFCD
“Roadmap”, Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf—The Evolution of Sales” and a fiction
novel - “Shattered Innocence.” Rick’s next book due to be published in

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 73

November is titled; Lone Wolf – Lead Wolf, The Evolution of

Leadership.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Johnson

http://EzineArticles.com/?R2-=-EOC-------Recruitment-and-Retention-=-
Employer-of-Choice&id=72466

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 74

Employee Retention: Five

Leadership Fundamentals
By Marcia Zidle

Are your management practices on the right track? Retaining your

valued or high performing employees must be a strategic issue for your
company. Throwing more money at your workers is not the answer and
can become very costly. The more effective way to retain top talent is to
address their important needs.

Universal Truths:

Most people are content being paid at or around the market rate for good
quality work. SOME folks are extremely money conscious, but
eventually they learn that the paycheck comes every two weeks all on its
own, and other motivators come into play very quickly. There are very
few folks who can be bought for money alone.

Most people want two opposing things out of their jobs. They want to
feel they are part of a group that’s able to accomplish greater things than
they could on their own, AND they want to know that they stand out as
individuals. The job as a manager is to give them BOTH experiences: to
bring about a ‘team spirit’ and to let his staff or team know what a great
job each one is doing.

Finally, most employees have a few ongoing needs that motivate them
to do their best work and to stay. They include a clear direction of their
job or project; specific assignments that help them grow; access to
necessary organizational resources, and feedback on their performance
on a regular basis. Otherwise, they pretty much want to be left alone to
get their job or assignment done.

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 75

Five Leadership Fundamentals:

He then realized that his job as manager became very simple. To

motivate high performance and, at the same time, ensure employee
satisfaction within his group, he just needed to:

Provide employees with a clear sense of where we’re going and why.
Make sure they have the necessary resources to get their job done.
Be attuned to their professional needs and try to provide them with
assignments that meet these needs (not always easy but still attainable).
Regularly meet with them both formally and informally to give and get
feedback on what’s going on.
Get out of their way and, at the same time, be available when needed.

He ended with this comment: “I don’t have long-term results to share, but
in the short-run, I have a staff that reports being happy in their jobs and
challenged by the work. And our group has a better reputation for
service than the rest of the large department we are part of. So I know
I’m on the right track.”

This manager’s comments reinforce my observations that the primary

reason that people commit to a job, an organization, or an effort is not
financial! It is the basic feeling of success. The employee who
achieves, who accomplishes his or her goals and objectives, who
maintains a feeling of personal worth and value, will more likely remain
with the organization.

Marcia Zidle, a business and leadership development expert, works with

entrepreneurial organizations who want to be a dominant player in
competing for customers, clients, funding or community awareness.

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy say, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in
Kansas anymore”. Well business, government and community leaders,
Marcia says, “It’s no longer business as usual anymore; its business that
has to better than usual.”

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 76

Do you want to be better than usual? Then subscribe to Making Waves!

a free monthly e-newsletter with quick lessons on better, faster, smarter
ways to lead. Sign up now at http://www.LeadersAtAllLevels.com and
get a 35 page bonus e-book: Make Bold Change! 101 Ways to Stomp
Out Business As Usual. Or contact Marcia directly at 800-971-7619.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcia_Zidle

http://EzineArticles.com/?Employee-Retention:-Five-Leadership-
Fundamentals&id=41100

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 77

How to Retain Top Sales Talent

By Don McNamara

Of constant concern in senior management ranks is the turnover rate of

their sales members. If your goal is to stabilize the sales team, improve
their performance and retain your top performers, then you will want to
read on.

Understanding why sales people leave is critical. It is not money! In fact

studies validate that money is way down the list of why sales people
leave. Sales people leave when a whole set of other factors come into
play and make the job of achieving their goals difficult to reach.
Therefore to retain the staff of sales performers that make the difference,
management must institute fundamentally sound sales management
practice, as we will see.

The Starting Point

To begin with, sales managers must develop realistic goals and

objectives with their team members. These should be mutually
discussed and agreed upon collaboratively. Why? Necessity dictates
both have bought in to what needs to be done, when it needs to be done
and what resources will be required to deliver the results. After that,
monitoring progress attainment can be accomplished using a
management by exception system.

When sales management takes a hands off attitude toward developing

common goals and objectives with sales reps you can bet it will not be
long before performance issues arise. Furthermore, with a plan, sales
management is proactive rather than reactive, or worst of all, inactive.
Setting goals and objectives, observing their completion and monitoring
success are functions of sound sales management. Winging it, if you
will, leaves far too much to chance and luck.

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At the end of the day, “What can be measured gets accomplished”.

Sales People are the Manager’s Customers

The best performers as a general rule know that to use the resources of
the entire organization helps them present a more professional image
and increases the probability of a sale. Sales managers who spend time
with their representatives in the field always have better performing
teams. Joint calls permit the sales manager to coach and do on the job
training with the sales people. The manager is able to observe skill set
improvement, determine loss in skill capability and test the current sales
person attitude. Sales managers who spend time with their people have
a customer care attitude. In this case, they are taking care of their
customers- the sales force.

Look at Sales Rep Aggravations

1.Sales managers who take over

Skilled sales managers are involved listeners in the sales calls. They do
not take them over. When the manager takes over the calls, the
customer unfortunately may see him/her now in a sales role, and not as
a manager. How can the sales manager and the sales rep know what
they did or did not do well in the call? Solid sales people enjoy the
opportunity to demonstrate their ability especially in front of the boss.
Use this as a perfect opportunity to compliment them for work well done,
or assist them in improving their sales skills. Wait until the call is over
and do the “post Mortem” afterwards in the car, or over lunch in a
constructive and non-threatening manner.

2.Sales managers who don’t listen or want info

Sales managers who pay attention and listen to what their

representatives are saying to them without fear of retribution establish
and maintain solid trust. If management acts in an arrogant fashion and
ignores the issues that sales identifies, it will not be long before
defections occur. There is no better way to gain the respect of a sales
team than by sincerely listening to their sales related issues. Pay
attention to what they are saying, then do your part to make the
adjustments and improvements as necessary.

3.Managers who lose their cool

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Consistency is the hallmark of emotionally mature and self-confident

sales managers. For example, does the sales manager maintain
composure in times of stress, or does the sales force receive temper
tantrums and unprofessional behavior when sales miscues occur.

4.Managers who play favorites

Is there evenness in supervising the sales staff, or are there glaring

examples of out and out favoritism. Talk about discouragement! Try and
imagine the mentality of an over achiever who observes blatant
examples of someone else being played favorite. Sales people have
pretty developed radar and antennas when it comes to such
management behavior. Aspire towards fairness and evenhandedness.
Make sure you let your sales representatives know they are being
measured for sales results, and leave politics to government! You will be
amazed at how well the sales team responds and how the general
morale of the group improves.

How’s your Sales Culture?

In far too many companies the conventional wisdom is if we build it or

have it, they will buy it. If that were the case, you would not need sales
people!

The very finest companies tend to attract, engage and retain the best
and the brightest. Recent studies confirm the best product; service or
system will be marginally successful unless it is properly presented into
the marketplace. This takes sales people. Look at the consequences of
having an ineffective sales culture and determine those elements
needed to build a positive one.

Tend to Your Knitting

Why is it that the companies that have the most efficient internal
operations expect and get more sales results from the external
operations, namely the sales department?

Inspect your policies, internal processes, procedures and practices and

programs. Do these actually impede the sales force or get in the way of
sales person effectiveness? Do they actually encourage sales people to
take a sales orientation? Does the sales compensation plan reward the
type of behavior and sales achievements you desire? When a
company’s internal systems are efficient and effective, you will see a

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 80

greater amount of sales time being spent selling, rather than saving prior
orders and customers. What you desire is the sales team selling, rather
than telling.

It may not be that the sales team needs to be motivated as much as the
company needs to understand why they are being demotivated.

Sales people will get re-energized when they see barriers and limitations
to their effectiveness being addressed and eventually lifted. If the entire
company is working towards the same objectives, sales people feel they
have some control over their personal destiny. Eliminate the factors
causing loss of sales force confidence in the company.

In conclusion, expect results and performance and expect your sales

team to respond. Take a proactive position with sales management.
Ensure you and they have the same goals in mind for the sales
organization. Insist they supervise the activities of the sales staff toward
attainment of previously determined objectives. Completion of
successful objectives leads to goal attainment, for both the sales team
and the sales management. Amazing results transpire. Top performers
will know that they are valued members of your company and their
contributions are vital to the organization. Then, sales representatives
will stay in place when they see their personal and professional goals
have a way to be accomplished within your organization.

Don McNamara is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and is

President of Heritage Associates, Inc. http://www.heritage-associates.net

Heritage Associates is a full service sales management consulting,

training and coaching company. Don also speaks and writes on the art
and science of superior sales management and top sales performance.

With over 30 years sales experience from the field level to executive
sales management, in his career he has been an individual contributor,
corporate sales training manager, regional manager, national sales
manager and vice president of sales. Don is a member of the Institute of
Management Consultants, where he serves as Professional
Development Chair and the National Speakers Association.

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 81

For a free e-newsletter contact Don McNamara at djmcn@heritage-

associates.net or by phone (949) 230-4363.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_McNamara

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Retain-Top-Sales-Talent&id=138554

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 82

Employee Retention for New Hires

By James Robbins

The First 84 Days

If you have ever seen a zebra give birth (at least on the Geographic
Channel) you will see an amazing phenomenon. Once the baby colt is
up on its feet the mother will block the youngster’s line of sight to the rest
of the herd. The mother will only let her baby colt see her stripes. The
reason is that a very important imprinting process is going on in those
first moments where the mother is building loyalty into her offspring.
Once her pattern is ingrained in her young colts brain, the baby will
forever know who her mother is. Those first moments are crucial.
In workplaces today there is a similar principle that takes place with new
employees. For many organizations, turn over is greatest in the first 84
days. But there are some simple things you can do to increase the
chance of employees making it through that probationary period.

Before they start

1. Welcome Wagon

Before they even have their first day on the job send them a welcome
basket or a card signed by the entire team they will be working with. This
will go a long way in making them look forward to meeting everyone.
You can even send them a brief and fun bio of everyone they will need
to know including fun facts like favorite food and movies etc. You can
also have one of the team members give them a call to welcome them
on board.

2. Questions Answered

Have HR or someone else phone to explain benefits and any other

information they might desire to have.

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Once they start:

Remember when you first started a new job? It can be a nerve-wracking

experience to walk into an office when you’re the “newbie.”

3. Assign them a Buddy

Sometimes if a climber is a beginner he might be short-roped with a

more experienced guide. Assign a buddy to the new employee that can
personally make it their mandate to show them around and make
introductions. The buddy can have a regular weekly lunch times during
the first few weeks to help the new person adjust. Plus it’s a good idea to
have a friend right from day one, who they can talk to about any issues.

4. Advertise

Post a picture of the new employee in the lunchroom or common area

with some fun facts about their likes, hobbies, and family. This can act
as a great discussion starter. “You like the movie Ishtar? I thought I was
the only one, let’s grab lunch!”

5. Hi from the Top.

Have the CEO or President drop by to say hello and personally welcome
them to the company. This always makes an impact on any new
employee when the boss makes time to do this. People know the boss is
busy and this gesture alone says a lot.

6. Team Lunch.
Take the new hire to lunch with the team. Everyone loves to go for lunch
when the boss is paying. Relationships are built over food.

7. Inform the team.

Make sure everyone on the team knows the day that your new hire
arrives. Give specific instructions on how you want the new hire to be
welcomed.

8. Probation – Treat them as if they were not on it.

I understand why you have a probationary period but during it commit to

the employee as if there were no such thing. If you wait until after their

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first 90 days to see if they are worth investing in, you may have already
sent a message that may be heard to erase. If you do your homework on
the hiring process, probation should not be a big deal.

9. Don’t have a probationary period!

Here’s a radical idea. Don’t have a probation period. Tell your new hire
that you believe in them so much that it’s “Welcome to the team.”

10. Clear your schedule

As much as you can on their first day plan to have a schedule with a lot
of flex time so you can give them whatever time they might need.

11. Have a performance review after the first 30 days.

This will help still the insecurity of “I wonder how I’m doing?” that most
new employees feel. A performance review after one month will also let
you find out how they are adjusting and expose any needs that might
need to be met.

They say you only have one chance to make a first impression. Take the
extra time to make your new hire feel pulled in and part of the team. You
went through all of that effort to recruit them, interview them, and hire
them, you wouldn't want to lose them before they ever really got going.

James Robbins is creator of The Summit; the online goal setting game
guaranteed to help you reach your peak potential. He delivers keynotes
on personal excellence and leadership issues such as employee
retention and creating engaging workplaces. To find out more go to
http://www.ontothesummit.com/index.php?page=14 ;
www.jamesrobbins.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Robbins

http://EzineArticles.com/?Employee-Retention-for-New-Hires&id=749865

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 85

Increasing Employee Retention

Through Employee Engagement
By Josh Greenberg

You’ve seen it happen many times. An organization that provides top

wages and benefits loses a great employee to a competitor for no
apparent reason. Of course, some employee turnover is to be expected,
but if your company is truly engaging your employees, there is no good
reason for the unexpected loss of quality staff members. Many
companies already know that wages and benefits are important to
employees, but compensation alone is not enough to keep the highly
skilled, motivated and experienced workforce your business needs to
excel.

Defining Employee Engagement

What is employee engagement exactly? AlphaMeasure defines

employee engagement as the level of commitment and involvement an
employee has towards their organization and its values.

The primary behaviors of engaged employees are speaking positively

about the organization to coworkers, potential employees and
customers, having a strong desire to be a member of the organization,
and exerting extra effort to contribute to the organization’s success.
Many smart organizations work to develop and nurture engagement. It is
important to note, the employee engagement process does require a
two-way relationship between employer and employee.

Why is Employment Engagement so important?

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 86

An organization’s capacity to manage employee engagement is closely

related to its ability to achieve high performance levels and superior
business results.

Engaged employees will stay with the company, be an advocate of the

company and its products and services, and contribute to bottom line
business success. Engaged employees also normally perform better and
are more motivated. There is a significant link between employee
engagement and profitability. Employee engagement is critical to any
organization that seeks not only to retain valued employees, but also
increase its level of performance.

Factors of Engagement

Many organizational factors influence employee engagement and

retention such as:

A culture of respect where outstanding work is valued

Availability of constructive feedback and mentoring
Opportunity for advancement and professional development
Fair and appropriate reward, recognition and incentive systems
Availability of effective leadership
Clear job expectations
Adequate tools to complete work responsibilities
High levels of motivation

Many other factors exist that might apply to your particular business and
the importance of these factors will also vary within your organization.

Engagement Essentials

How will you know to what degree your employees are engaged? The
first step is to determine the current level of employee engagement. The
best tool to determine this base line is a comprehensive employee
satisfaction survey. A well administered satisfaction survey will let you
know at what level of engagement your employees are operating.
Customizable employee surveys will provide you with a starting point
towards your efforts to optimize employee engagement.

The key to successful employee satisfaction surveys is to pay close

attention to the feedback from your staff. This is the only way to identify
their specific concerns. When leaders listen, employees respond by
becoming more engaged. This results in increased productivity and

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 87

employee retention. Engaged employees are much more likely to be

satisfied in their positions, remain with the company, be promoted, and
strive for higher levels of performance.

Listening to employee ideas, acting on employee contributions and

actively involving employees in decision making are essential to
employee engagement.

Taking Action to Improve Employee Engagement

Nothing is more discouraging to employees than to be asked for their

feedback and see no movement toward resolution of their issues. Even
the smallest actions taken to address concerns will let your staff know
that their input is valued. Feeling valued will boost morale, motivate and
encourage future input.

Taking action starts with listening to employee feedback. Then the data
needs to be analyzed. Next, a definitive action plan will need to be put in
place and finally, change will be implemented. It is important that
employee engagement is not viewed as a one time action. Employee
engagement should be a continuous process of measuring, analyzing,
defining and implementing.

What is the Alternative to Employee Engagement?

Conditions that prevent employee engagement seldom alleviate

themselves. They should be assessed and addressed as soon as
possible. Left to multiply, negative employee satisfaction issues can
result in:

Higher employee turnover - Employees leave, taking their reservoir of

knowledge and experience to another workplace
Diminished performance - Competency of the workforce is reduced, at
least short term, until new employees are trained
Lost training dollars - Time and money invested in training and
development programs for departing workers is wasted
Lower morale - Remaining employees can be overburdened with new
duties, in addition the unresolved issues that already prevent their full
engagement

How Can You Attain Employee Engagement?

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 88

Listen to your employees and remember that this is a continuous

process. The information your employees supply will provide direction.
Insist upon increased engagement at the managerial level, and create
and deploy a customized employee satisfaction survey from
AlphaMeasure to assess your current level of employee engagement.
Identify problem areas, make a plan and take action towards
improvement.

----------------------------------------------------------

This article may be reproduced provided it is published in its entirety,

includes the author bio information, and all links remain active.

Proceed to AlphaMeasure for additional resources on [

http://www.alphameasure.com ] employee satisfaction surveys and
employee engagement surveys.
2004 © AlphaMeasure</a>, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

Josh Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, Inc. located in Boulder,

Colorado.

AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based

method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee
engagement, and increasing employee retention.

The AlphaMeasure Employee Survey System is fully-customizable and

allows you to target the organizational topics and challenges facing your
staff today. Designed by HR professionals from the ground up, the
AlphaMeasure Employee Satisfaction Survey System provides an
affordable, feature rich solution for deploying fully-customized employee
satisfaction or employee engagement surveys.

Click here to learn more about the [ http://www.alphameasure.com ]

AlphaMeasure Employee Survey System.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Greenberg

http://EzineArticles.com/?Increasing-Employee-Retention-Through-
Employee-Engagement&id=10575

www.gklim.com
 89

About the compiler, G K Lim

G K Lim, is experienced in sales, marketing and business, and in cutting-edge
adult learning techniques

G K Lim www.gklim.com is a training consultant in the area of

consultative / solution-centric selling skills, key account management,
negotiation skills, customer service excellence, Emotional Intelligence
enhancement, personal development, motivation, stress
management, and mind / intuition enhancement.

He has had consulting and training assignments in Thailand,

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Vietnam, India,
Sri Lanka, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, and China, and has appeared on TV2
(KL), TVM (Maldives), UNTV (Manila) and RPN9 (Manila).

He is……
• Fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management;
• Approved CMSI Sales Personnel Certification Advisor & Instructor;
• ISO Certified In Marketing & Sales (ISO CMS 991182);
• Certified e-Business Associate (EC-Council);
• Certified EC-Council Instructor;
• Certified Herrmann Brain Dominance Instructor;
• Certified Competency-Based Training & Education Instructor;
• Certified facilitator for "Psychology of Winning," "It's A Deal," "Adventures in
Attitudes," and "You Were Born Rich Video Program;"
• Accredited Facilitator, Accelerated Entrepreneurs Development Program;
• Silva Mind Control facilitator;
• NLP practitioner;
• Member, Ecumenical Society of Psychorientology;
• Member, Intuition Network;
• Vice President / Secretariat Director, HRD Gateway;
• President Emeritus, China HRM,
• Founder / Director, HRD Gateway Management Development Centre
• Principal Consultant, Human Resources Services;
• and publisher of “Partners,” an ezine for professionals, managers, executives,
and entrepreneurs.

A partial list of in-house training clients include: ABB, Aesculap, Acer, ANZ Bank
Hanoi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cadbury, Canon, Ciitibank, Cycle & Carriage Bintang,
Datacard Group USA, Dell, Dexion, DHL, Digi, Euromedical, GE Toshiba Silicones,
HAVI Food, IQPC Oil & Gas Dubai, IITM Sri Lanka, Intel, Jabil, Jaya Jusco, Komag,
Landmark Graphics, Maersk Medical, Maybank, Maxis, Microsoft Thailand, Mitsui-
O.S.K. Lines, Mitsui Sumitomo, NEC, New Zealand Milk, Nordberg China, Novartis
Pharmaceuticals, O'Connor's, Panasonic, Permodalan BSN, Public Bank, PSA

www.gklim.com
 90

Maldives, PWTC, Reliance, Roche, Samsung India, Shell, Sime Darby, Solectron,
Syngenta Crop Protection, SWM Resources, Ta'aheel FZ. Dubai, Tara Prima Megah
Bandung, Texchem, Tecumseh-Euro-Malaysia, Wearne Brothers, Xepa-Soul
Pattinson, and Yves Rocher

G. K. Lim is currently conducting research for, and writing, a definitive doctoral thesis
on persuasion psychology.

Because he has been there "fighting in the trenches," G. K. Lim brings to his
seminars / workshops street-smart no-nonsense ideas for survival and success in
the highly competitive, fast moving and ever changing marketplace.

G K Lim in action
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=gktraining
(or go to youtube.com, search "gktraining")

www.gklim.com