What's Your Strategy?

Many businesses I have worked with do not have formal retention programs. They do have a recruitment program. However the recruitment program does not always fit with the organization's culture or values.

There are a few things to consider when you look at establishing your strategy. These include and are not limited to the following:

• Hiring right. You need to know your organization's culture and values well enough to know who will fit and who won't.
• Clear expectations. New hires must know explicitly what they are getting into when they join your company. Also, you need to have a system of regular two-way feedback in place to ensure success.
• Flexibility. Work, schedules, and teams are some areas you should consider having a flexible aspect to your strategy.
• Share the business. You have to give to get and your business is part of the deal. Have a mechanism where employees can take some sort of ownership and feel a vested interest in your company's success.
• Listen. Employees have great ideas. Schedule regular listening sessions with a cross section of your organization for things you should start doing, stop doing or keep doing.

These are just some of the things you should consider when establishing your recruiting, attrition and retention strategy for your company.