Entries by Cara Silletto

Who’s the Real Flight Risk? Why Employees Leave (And Stay)

February 17, 2019 /1 Comment/in , /by

An excerpt from Staying Power Staying Power Book 2018

Who’s the Real Flight Risk?

Why do people stay at your organization? Is it because they’re passionate about the work they do? Do they enjoy working with their colleagues and/or those you serve? Do they feel well-compensated and appreciated? Or is it for another reason?

While I would like to think these positive reasons are the primary basis for why staff stay, that’s not always the case. Here are a few reasons why some staff stick around, even when they are unhappy in their current role or situation:

  1. True loyalty
    Some employees feel a sense of obligation to the owners, business, clients, or even a single manager who gave them the job and have invested in their career over time.

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40+ Ways to Reduce Turnover & Become a M.A.G.N.E.T. Employer

January 17, 2019 /1 Comment/in , , , /by

Employee turnover is running rampant in most organizations today. As retention experts, we continue to compile effective strategies for reducing turnover. Here’s a list of suggestions to consider in order to become a more attractive, or M.A.G.N.E.T., employer.

Management Effectiveness

Organizational Strategies

  1. Implement (or reinstate) a management/supervisor training
  2. Conduct self-assessments for all leaders
  3. Ensure managers and supervisors have the resources they need to be successful
  4. Conduct employee surveys quarterly to determine why people are really leaving

Manager Strategies

  1. Provide frequent feedback to all staff
  2. Appreciate any job well done – even if it’s an employee’s job
  3. MBWA (Manage by Walking Around) instead of sitting behind desk
  4. Integrate team-building activities into meetings
  5. Schedule one-on-one check-in meetings with staff regularly

Attraction & Recruiting

Employer Brand & Attractiveness

  1. Ensure retention is top priority – otherwise recruiting efforts are a band-aid
  2. Maintain strong employer brand in city/community
  3. Check Glassdoor.com for reviews and improve upon what you can
  4. Pay hourly staff weekly and offer immediate access to accrued pay
  5. Create “Selling Points” document highlighting reasons to work for your company

Recruitment

  1. Ask marketing to write attractive job descriptions and remove jargon
  2. Text applicants if calls and voicemails are not returned
  3. Move candidates through the application process more quickly
  4. Use an effective Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
  5. Implement valid hiring assessments
  6. Contact new hires prior to orientation to discuss expectations and share excitement
  7. Offer job shadowing for a more realistic job preview

Guidance Upon Entry

The New Day One

  1. Ensure new hires feel welcome on day one with signage, lunch, welcome bags, favorite snacks, etc.

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Do You Have Staying Power? What it Takes to Keep Staff Longer

July 19, 2018 /3 Comments/in , , /by

My grandparents lived and worked in a different world than we do today. And as a 36-year-old, my Millennial friends (now 20-37) and I cannot even fathom what the workplace and the employer/employee relationship used to look like – before smartphones and leggings, and when “because I said so” was an acceptable answer to a staff member’s question.

A Shift in the Workforce

As we look at today’s new workforce, a major difference is that many Gen X workers (now 38-53) who entered the workplace 15-25 years ago were good at working independently, figuring out how to get things done by themselves, and meeting their Baby Boomer bosses’ (now 54-72) expectations.→ Read More

Who Owns Retention? The Real Employee Turnover Problem

June 29, 2017 /2 Comments/in , /by

What’s the biggest problem when it comes to employee turnover? No one owns retention!

At many companies, when turnover rises executives point to HR to fix it – whose plate is already overflowing with terminations, payroll, benefits management, and back-fill recruiting. HR then blames bad managers for running off good people, and the managers push back complaining that executives do not give them enough time or training to manage their people properly. They all have a point, but this blame game is costing those organizations tons of money!→ Read More