Editor's Pick
As I meet with clients and HR managers, the question I hear most often these days is, “How has our changing market affected recruitment and retention?” In my view, it has had a profound effect on the most valued employees within many, many companies. The question that these HR managers need to ask themselves is, “Am I willing to lose my best people?’ Here is a story to illustrate my point. I met with a client this week at her office. After ten years with one company, she has been promoted three times and is the in-house leader of the organization, essentially the glue that has held the operation together for the past decade. This is what she told me: “The number of staff reporting to me went from six to 22 last week as the company decided to make some changes. I am expected to do the same job as before, but my responsibilities have multiplied by more than four times. I know they trust me, but this wasn’t handled like a promotion…more like ‘deal with it’. I am really overwhelmed. I don’t know how long I can keep this up—I am seriously considering looking for a different job in the New Year.” The reality in the situations such as this is that valued staff members are being overloaded and overworked to the point that they can no longer function and hiring freezes, an absence of replacement agreements, etc., continue to add to the workload. The powers that be keep piling on the work for their best staff because they trust them to get it done, but have they ever stopped to ask, “Can they truly handle this workload? If so, how long and how are we compensating them for taking on all of these extra duties?” Why is retention so important right now? When I ask clients what their biggest HR challenge is at the present time the answer is almost always along the lines of, “I have no idea who really wants to be here and who is just staying because they can’t find a better opportunity right now.” The result is a “perceived” high retention rate when in reality it is fear of leaving. However, with our market picking up once again, staff will no longer be afraid to leave their jobs and many will begin actively seeking if they’re not happy. So, is your team really motivated and engaged or are they waiting for the market to change? If they’re just waiting, how is that affecting your bottom line and internal morale? When should you start making changes? The time is now. Your top talent is a resource that needs your attention. Find them, reward them, engage them and keep them.
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