Gone are the days of getting a job and staying at that company for your career. Employees today jump around through several companies typically, during their career. The cost of training an employee can be considerable, and it is an investment in the employee and our companies. So how can we formulate a strategy for sourcing and keeping the best candidates? Here are some tips that can help you answer just that question.
Recruit Continuously
Most companies will experience regular turn over. Recruiting aggressively for top talent can help you identify talent before you need it and find candidates that may not be available at the exact time you need them.
Know What You Need
Finding the right candidate is more than just looking at skill sets. The right candidate is a combination of skills and personality. Every organization has a culture and to keep an employee, you will need to find someone who will be happy with your culture. I work with a lot of high tech firms and they all have one thing in common; they look for talent that will fit in and have solid technical skills.
Ask The Right Questions
You only get to interview someone before you hire them. So ask lots of questions to increase your assurance that they are the right person. Find out about more than just their skills as they pertain to the job. Ask situational and theoretical questions. Theoretical questions will show how they think and demonstrate their attitude towards problem solving. The best questions are those that are not directly from their background.
Check References
I used to say that references were useless. After all who would give you someone that will give them a bad reference? After performing many reference checks, I can tell you that if you do them correctly, they can be a real asset. Be sure to find out everything you can during those checks. I often ask if they would hire the candidate for the position I am hiring for.
Compensate Your Employees Well
It is said that money makes the world go round. Everyone has a price, and if you want to keep your top talent you will have to pay for it. We see this all the time in pro sports. Compensation is so much more than salary. Look at companies like Google, they encourage employees to take ownership and empower them. They offer a fun environment as well.
Some of the items I hear candidate looking for include:
- Flex time
- Telecommuting
- Stock Options
- Training Budget
Career Development
This seems like a no-brainer. Just like a garden you need to nurture your employees if you want them to grow. Offering career development will benefit the organization as well as the employees. Many organizations offer training budgets, but if that is out of the question, there are many ways to do this without spending a fortune.
