An eye towards retention starts at recruiting: a strong hiring process both finds the right candidates for the work and creates an environment for loyal employees. Consider these three suggestions to hire employees who will stay.
Be Transparent in the Interview Process
Candidates who interview for an open position at your company are most likely searching elsewhere at the same time. Active interviewing can be a juggling act of scheduling and timing for both candidates and hiring managers, especially when the process includes several rounds. This is why interview transparency can set you apart from other companies.
Senior Recruiter Carly Richter is passionate about interview transparency. She says, “I always talk candidates through the hiring process, how many interviews there are, what the timeline looks like, and I ask about their timeline, too. If you’re interviewing elsewhere, let me know! I’ll do my best to align timelines so no one is left with what-ifs.”
She suggests decreasing the stress around interviewing by helping candidates feel like they can be open about upcoming vacations and other offers, and comfortable asking direct questions about pay and benefits, work hours, and any small details about daily tasks that may affect their willingness to come work at your company.
Hire Candidates for Both Hard and Soft Skills
A candidate’s experience is valuable and should be weighed heavily towards their suitability. But time in a position can’t tell the whole story about how they will fit in with the culture. It won’t help you get to know their leadership, teamwork, or communication skills. Soft skills can be hard to evaluate from a resume, but they’re crucial because:
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- They Affect Team Dynamics. Employees with years of experience and technical savvy can disrupt a team if they are difficult to work with. A less-experienced candidate with excellent interpersonal skills can bring positivity and productivity by boosting the team.
- They Influence Customer Relationships. For a customer-facing role, soft skills may be more valuable than experience. Employees who address customer concerns effectively can make or break your relationships with current customers, and, in the age of the internet, how your company is widely perceived.
- They Increase Adaptability. In a changing world, the ability to adapt to new technologies, company reorganizations, and market adjustments is a vital skill. Adaptable employees can catch the vision of future growth and focus on how to change and move forward.
- They Drive Leadership. Leadership skills are valuable for more than just upper management. Strong leaders see mentorship opportunities, take responsibility for decisions, work proactively, and resolve concerns.
- They Reduce Turnover. Employees with high emotional intelligence and resilience react well to the many nuances of work life, learning to work with others, practicing conflict resolution and teambuilding for long-term success and retention.
In advance of hiring, prioritize the most valuable soft skills when screening candidates, so all members of the hiring team know what to look for. Frame interview questions for candidates and references to assess their soft skills. Pre-hiring assessment tools can help search out candidates who match skills such as:
- Empathy
- Emotional intelligence
- Communication
- Time management
- Resilience
- Adaptabilty
- Critical thinking
- Professionalism
- Resourcefulness
Implement a Strong Onboarding Process
The hiring process doesn’t end once an offer has been extended and accepted. “It’s high time employers and recruiters realize the importance of an employee’s first 90 days at a firm,” says Joe Coletta, CEO of 180 Engineering. “I know of multiple instances of employers ghosting their new hires on their first day. These initial months are crucial in terms of training, building trust, and maximizing job satisfaction.”
Retention encompasses the actions taken to reduce employee turnover, and a strong onboarding process shows new employees that they are worth the company’s investment. It demonstrates a desire to make the employee comfortable in their new role, shows you prioritize adequate training, and offers resources for questions or concerns. Even for new hires who appeared eager to dive in, the first 90 days can be tenuous. A robust onboarding experience offers an adjustment period with lower stakes so new employees can find their footing at the pace that’s comfortable to them. They can observe the company culture and figure out how they will contribute.
To aid in retention, effective onboarding strategies can include:
- An employee assigned to be an onboarding mentor
- Training on company policies, culture, and benefits
- Open-door policy with HR for further clarification
- Teambuilding or icebreaker introduction events
- Introducing new team members on social media or at a company lunch
- Adequate job training
- Encouraging career goals and aspirations, and following up at a later date to create concrete plans to help in promotion or advancement
The best onboarding strategies foster feelings of trust and a positive impression of the business. They make the employee feel like a valued part of the team and motivate them to contribute long-term.
Before starting the hiring process, consider the ways your team can focus on retention as a long-term goal. Interview transparency, hiring for valuable soft skills, and employing a robust onboarding program can pay dividends for employee retention.
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