Spotlight On Recruitment And Retention

By P.J. Chalmers, Empire HR

April 11 2008 - With the government offering former midwives a "golden hello" package worth £3,000 to encourage them back into the profession the issue of recruiting and retaining employees is a topical subject.

However, to secure the best staff in today's competitive market, there are tools and benefits which employers can use to their advantage.

It's claimed that the top three reasons for difficulties in recruitment are a lack of specialist skills, insufficient experience and individuals having higher pay expectations than organisations can meet.

If an employer faces difficulties in finding the right candidates it is important to evaluate the current recruitment tools and explore other avenues to widen the field of candidates, such as internal advertising, newspapers, trade magazines, internet sites and recruitment agencies.

If further advertising isn't fruitful, organisations could consider reviewing the qualifications required for the role to ascertain whether a broader range of qualities and skills can be taken into account.

Or you could appoint candidates who don't have all the requirements, but have the potential to grow and develop into the role.

Coupled with this is the provision of training to allow internal staff to fill the vacant posts.

Evaluating and subsequently redefining the job and changing the way the work is organised are also options to consider, particularly when you want to fill vacancies internally.

There are a number of ways that organisations can attract candidates. For larger or well-known organisations, using the company brand in the recruitment process can be a powerful tool.

Also, try offering incentives to current staff for introducing potential employees to the company, such as a "recommend a friend" scheme, as this can find candidates who may be overlooked in traditional recruiting.

Finally, employers may have to consider offering "golden hellos" - like the government's midwife scheme - or increasing the starting salaries or benefits package to attract the right candidates.

Since employers face difficulties in recruiting suitable candidates, more should be done to address turnover rates and to retain skilled staff. The main reasons for leaving employment are a change of career, promotion outside the organisation, lack of career development, and level of pay. Employers also highlight retirement as a main reason for labour turnover.

To address retention issues within the company, employers should be evaluating employees' reasons for leaving and current employees' reasons for dissatisfaction. This can be done through exit interviews, performance appraisals and conducting an employee attitude survey.

Employers can then decide on the appropriate retention strategy. This may include increasing learning and development opportunities, improving the induction process and selection techniques, increasing pay and improving benefits. Improving working conditions and the working environment may also help boost employee satisfaction and encourage staff to stay with organisation.

The introduction of some well-planned attraction and retention initiatives can make all the difference in becoming an employer of choice in the current employment market. For more information contact Empire HR on (01224) 701383

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