Creating an effective recruiting and retention strategy

The key to creating an effective recruiting and retention strategy is to determine the root causes of why people join a company and stay/leave subsequently. 
When joining a company, a candidate typically considers several factors including: 
• Pay
• Benefits
• Location
• Advancement possibilities
• Job security
• Nature of work
• Personal/family commitments 
• The nature of the working environment

Whether an employee stays or leaves will depend on several factors including: 

• Confidence in leadership
• Whether they feel they are contributing, recognized, appreciated and heard
• Whether they feel management is keeping their promises / commitments Based on the above, here is a good starting point for creating an effective recruitment and retention strategy: • Offer fair and competitive salaries
• Offer competitive benefits
• Train front-line managers on good supervisory and people management skills
• Clearly define roles and responsibilities
• Provide adequate advancement opportunities
• Offer retention bonuses instead of sign-on bonuses
• Measure your turnover rate and assign someone responsible/accountable for retention
• Conduct employee satisfaction surveys
• Foster an environment of teamwork
• Make room for fun
• Work with your staff to develop a department mission statement they identify with and own
• Identify employee talents and encourage them to fully utilize it and stretch into new areas
• Communicate oOpenly
• Encourage on-going learning
• Be flexible and accommodating
• Create an employee recognition program
•

(Note: the above proposed strategies would need to be customized based on the unique needs of any organization).  

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