Copyright:
© 2005 by Kathleen Gage
www.kathleengage.com
In today's competitive business environment it is essential
to find ways to reduce costs and increase revenues while keeping productivity
and quality high. One of the best ways to achieve this is through hiring and retention
of outstanding employees.
Far too often hiring managers
rush through the hiring process due to being reactive rather than proactive when
filling positions. With some preplanning in the hiring process and implementation
of sound strategies once people join your organization, you will lower the cost
of doing business by considerable amounts.
As you prepare
to hire consider the following:
In looking for potential candidates you may want to try more
than the traditional employee search. Tap into your network of professional connections.
Some of your best candidates may be working for your competitors. Be careful about
hiring someone just because they are a friend or family member. Not that friends
and family members don't make good employees - often they can be fantastic. And
yet, if you are hiring them only because they are a friend or family member, you
are setting yourself up for some big problems. With the wrong choice morale with
other employees can go down. With the right choice it is just as likely to go
up.
Think through the compensation package. Are the wages
fair for the job, industry and market? Make sure your benefit package is competitive
for your industry. Find out what other companies are offering as far as compensation
and consider matching or beating their offerings.
There
are occasions when someone may take a position without thinking through income,
benefits or fit. Once they have gotten settled in and are feeling comfortable
with the position and the company, they may realize the compensation and the job
is not all it could be. That can cause some discontent on their part. To avoid
this, do your homework.
Another key to keeping good employees
is to make sure they are treated with respect, dignity and appreciation. This
may seem like common sense and yet, it often doesn't happen. I consult with various
types of organizations employee retention and how to gain more commitment from
the staff. I often will meet individually, in private, with a cross section of
the staff. I spend at least an hour with each employee in a confidential meeting
to find out their view of the company. Inevitably, the areas that are most lacking
for the employee to be fully satisfied are communication and appreciation.
Once
the area of discontent has been identified I design programs for the company in
which to address the problems. What is amazing is the problem is often on the
way to being solved by virtue of the fact the organization has brought me in.
A common comment is, "Finally, someone is listening to me."
Often,
a company's problems can be lessened with some good coaching and training of management.
It is amazing how many managers and supervisors were put into their position without
any training in interpersonal skills, management and supervisory skills, and how
to communicate effectively. Nine times out of ten the people who need the most
training are the ones who think they need it the least. And, they are often the
biggest obstacle to the success of a company.
In order to stay competitive on all fronts you must keep your
entire team on the leading edge. By doing so you will be in business for years
to come with a happy, dedicated and productive team. And that will equal profits.
Do you want to gain massive visibility within your market? Kathleen Gage can help
you do just that. As a published author, keynote speaker and top rated business
advisor, Kathleen Gage teaches strategies that give high impact and high return.
Sign up for Gage's FR*EE Report "Learn How a Salt Lake City base consultant
made over $100,000 from one idea" at www.kathleengage.com
