Retain Top Talent

Why do you still use job descriptions as the core document in defining work? It does not define outcomes, deliverables, expectations, performance, results, KPIs and metrics. It has a unfurling roll of irrelevant lists of experiences, education, skills, and knowledge. The traditional job description doesn't come close to describing how someone would apply all these items in the context of their role.

Just like a hiring process, you should also have a retention process. Praying that employees love their job and your company because they show up for work every day could lead to your best talent exiting over the next few years. You need to be intentional about working on culture, feedback, engagement, mediocrity, non-monetary rewards and recognition to mention a few key areas. When should be the best time to create a retention process or system?

The author writes from the perspective of improving the customer experience - but talks about how the employee experience has to come first. Interesting trend developing in recent surveys - particularly among the younger generations - is that they want a more flexible work schedule and opportunity to work from home. What does this say about supervision, performance management, and work productivity - particularly for companies that are not prepared to manage flex time and remote working?

Think about the most successful organizations - for-profit, non-profit, educational, start-ups, large companies - my experience in 30 years - like the author of this article - is that the most successful organizations focus around culture. Are you spending time defining it, managing it, and communicating about it?

Opposing view of the argument to work on your culture. The author suggests that perhaps all the work on "culture" is over-rated and harmful. Do you hold this same view? Do you think the obsession with creating a better culture has negative effects?

I loved this article on the impact of rudeness in working together - whether it be non-profit teams, executive management groups, or on projects. Rudeness, incivility is one of the killers of motivation and high performing teams. In my own work as a non-profit Board President, I get to improve the civility of how people interact, and continually reinforce group norms around civility. One of the books I am reading right now is titled "Choosing Civility". What do you tolerate with your team?

Have you had a chance to review the research Goggle did on the conditions or elements that led to optimal team work. Fascinating stuff to improve how your teams work. Are you focused around any of these issues in improving the results and outcomes your teams generate?

Sometimes we forget about the importance of the on-boarding process as an effective retention tool. How do we wrap our arms around our new hire, making them feel coming aboard was one of the decisions of their life. Why do we sometimes cast them aside making them feel isolated and lonely?

Great article on Mashable about keeping employees happy. How many studies have you read over the last 4-5 years that talks about the importance of feedback - yet nothing has really changed.

Do you have a strong retention program in place to prevent your best talent from thinking about whether the grass is greener somewhere else. Just like having a strong hiring program - you also need to have a strong retention program. Most companies have zero to bits/pieces of a retention program. Are you willing to see your best talent head for the door as the job market continues to heat up?

This Office Vibe study is gaining a lot of attention.  It's one of the largest studies conducted in recent years and mirrors a lot of the research from the Gallup organization on employee happiness, satisfaction, and engagement. Note the statistic that only slightly over 50% of employees would recommend their company to friends. If your Net Promoter Score was that low, you would fire your Marketing-Customer Success-Sales Executive. How can you allow such a low level of satisfaction to exist in your organization?

Interesting practical research by Google on team research that extends into why people enjoy working in a company or with a particular team. This article focuses on teams - but could actually be an article about retention. Notice the points about work being meaningful to each person, and that it matters to others. This goes all the way back to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and basic motivation.