Dear Workforce – How Do We Make Re-Recruitment Work to Reduce Turnover

Dear Hemmed in:



Before dealing with corrective actions, consider these recommendations:

1. Figure out why employees are either leaving or anticipating leaving. Usually when an employee resigns, they are quitting their supervisor, not necessarily the company.
   
2. Hold managers/supervisors accountable for ensuring that employees have a clear professional growth plan that is monitored consistently.
   
3. Make certain your company stacks up with the competition.
   
4. Eliminate or modify grandfathered “old school” practices.
   
5. Analyze your compensation to identify where you may fall short and determine if job descriptions are flexible enough to enable employees to grow and develop.
   
6. Design retention training for supervisors and managers based on re-recruitment strategies.
   
7. Develop a system whereby the human resources department conducts telephone follow-up with new hires in 30-, 60- and 90-day intervals.
   
8. Consider building cross-training programs for employees to support professional development while also reducing turnover.
   
9. Encourage employee input via electronic message boards, bulletin boards, suggestion boxes, etc. Remember that employees want to be heard and appreciated.
   

Here are some suggestions.

• Use live videoconferencing at locations that lack a physical human resources presence. Many companies have begun using videoconferencing to conduct meetings, interviews, presentations and other forms of relationship building.
  
• Questionnaires can be effective if used in good faith and as long as you follow through on any implied actions.
  
• At locations where human resources does not have a presence, designate an existing employee or manager as a human resources liaison and equip the person with tools and training to address on-site retention.
  

SOURCE: Keith Smith, president and CEO, Consortia, New York City, March 8, 2005.

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. Also remember that state laws may differ from the federal law.