13 July 2022

Our HR Team offer their advice on successful recruitment and retention

In the current environment many businesses in our sector are finding recruitment and retention a challenge. Our HR team have put together a list of considerations to help members attract the best candidates and also retain key members of their teams. All Gold and Platinum members can contact the HR team directly for further advice and support. 

Recruitment

Recruitment of talent is vital to your company’s success, and many have trouble attracting the right employees. The BPIF HR team offer the following advice (full details can be found at the link below):

1. Create a stronger culture

It is not hard for candidates to find out about the truth on what it is like to work in your company and by creating a stronger culture you will attract better talent. You can reflect on your external and internal brand, your reward/recognition strategy and align this with what is currently on the market.

2. Reassess Your Search Criteria and Practices

Review your search criteria and practices to ensure that your processes are truly inclusive and evolve with the talent pool. If you are still going to the same talent resources you did five or ten years ago, it is time to reassess and make sure that you are keeping up with where the top talent is coming from and what their skills are now.

3. Pay A Recruiting Bonus for Referrals

Pay a recruiting bonus to current employees for referrals. Referrals from existing employees make for good hiring. One of the big risks in hiring is simply mis-hiring. Listening to those who have had a beneficial experience working with candidates at previous companies can help mitigate risks.

4. Simplify Your Recruiting Process

If you want to attract top talent, you need to ensure your recruiting process is as simple as possible - top performers are busy. They do not have the time to complete lengthy online applications that ask for information already on their CV, attend five rounds of job interviews and wait weeks to hear back.

Retention

If you look at the retention of employees, it not always about numbers, it relies on the effective strategies to keep your talent. There are many variables which make up an employee’s loyalty to the company and money does not always play the most important role. Employees will consider other aspects of a role like having a clear career path, gaining recognition, good employee/manager relations, overall job satisfaction and the commitment of the company to its employees.

Below, our HR team suggest offer advice on how to deal with employee retention:  

1. Professional development

Training and development should help employees grow not only professionally, but personally. We all join a new company and position, putting our best efforts in, therefore, we also expect to develop new skills that will provide us new and better opportunities within a company.

2. Benefits package

Looking at your benefits packages, this includes anything that is not a part of a salary but will make employees feel good about the company. For example, including benefit packages such as gym or car allowance, health insurance, paid sick leave, performance bonuses, meals, and snacks, a retirement plan, professional development.

3. Recognition incentives

Everyone likes a thank you and it may be beneficial to include a recognition incentive such as praising your employees for great work, presenting your employees with a certificate of achievement, or announcing an employee's accomplishment at a company meeting.

4. Open communication

Look at what your company does regarding communicating with your employees. Consider open door policies, open workspaces, and undivided attention and many companies understand that having good lines of communication is a key element in the success of a company's collaboration, and to nurture a more creative workforce.

5. Match expectations, responsibilities, and rewards

When employees feel their efforts are not recognised or rewarded, or that their work is not contributing to the bigger picture, dissatisfaction sets in. Everyone on the team should know what is expected of them, how they will contribute to the company, and be appreciated when they meet those expectations.

6. Embracing other working practices

Consider employees requests for different style of working practices such as hybrid working which represent a strong desire for more personal freedom to work when, where and how it best suits them. Showing a willingness to be flexible will be appreciated.

It is important that we develop strategies that align with employee's expectations and help them achieve the work-life balance we all strive for. In the end, the cost of turnover is more expensive than keeping your existing employees satisfied and committed.

Should you have any HR related questions or require further guidance including recruitment, disciplinary issues, grievances, sickness and performance managing or any other employee relation matters, please do not hesitate to contact your local HR Advisor via the BPIF helpdesk at: [email protected] or call on 01676 526051.