5 Ways To Find And Keep Good People

Recruiting and keeping good people is at the heart of any organisation’s success. But business leaders in all areas of the economy report difficulty in getting the people they want. What can be done?

Providing a good working environment and offering perks was the traditional way of managing people. But times have changed and businesses now see value in providing employees with a sense of community and engagement. There are many ways to achieve these goals but here are five suggestions for the business that’s serious about hiring the best.

1      A warm welcome

When you have taken the time and trouble to recruit a new employee make sure they feel welcome from the first day. The time it takes to get used to the way a company carries out its business is vital, as the sooner a new employee understands how everything works the sooner they can contribute.

2      Offer flexible working

Be aware of the people in the organisation who want to work flexibly and where possible offer such arrangements. Similarly, businesses increasingly experiment with accommodation as single office space is replaced with larger shared working spaces and remote working. New technologies and shared working apps encourage collaboration and negate the need to sit in one place from nine-to-five each day.

3      Provide feedback

Annual performance appraisals have a place in managing staff and improving productivity and when carried out properly serve employer and employee in equal measure. But technology is disrupting the process and so the way businesses engage with staff about performance feedback is changing too. In a digital environment 12 months is a long time and so managers carry out light touch reviews on a regular basis to provide more frequent feedback. Younger employees welcome and expect such engagement, as they settle into an organisation and decide whether or not to stay.

4      Get the right mix

Diversity in the workplace is always high on the agenda but some businesses are better at getting a good mix of people from different backgrounds than others. From a practical perspective, it is suggested that greater diversity leads to greater performance and profit, as a more diverse make up of directors and staff think differently and see things differently in a way that better reflects the market. Diversity strengthens the challenge function too, both in the boardroom and within senior management teams. Without constructive challenge an organisation looks inward and loses touch with customers and staff who leave to buy and work elsewhere.

5      Don’t micro-manage

Greater use of technology provides access to the information people need to make informed choices. The workplace therefore has to reflect the available technology to ensure the next generation of digital employees feel empowered rather than controlled. Getting the management balance right is a challenge for many businesses but it is one they must take seriously to win in the competition for talent.

So, the cliché of finding and keeping good people is as true today as it ever was but there are things you can do to get it right.