Recruitment, Induction and Retention

 

Getting recruitment right is a challenge for many businesses. Often people are recruited in a rush because of staff shortages. Consideration isn’t given to how the experience of the candidate matches the role and how they will integrate into the team. 

• A clear job description although important is not enough 

• Define clearly what skills and experience you need from a successful candidate 

• Ensure your interview questions are designed to identify if your candidates matches those skills sets 

• Furthermore introduce them to their prospective team members and line managers 

• Your team will give you valuable feedback and your candidate will gain and insight into your company culture. 

Induction 

The saying ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression’ is paramount for new starters. On day one they will be apprehensive. The first month is vital in shaping the perception of their new employer. 

Getting induction right is essential to integrate new employees into your company and to help them understand their role, your business and the systems and processes they will need to meet their objectives. But employers often fail to implement induction programmes thoroughly. A poor induction can lead to new staff feeling isolated, unclear about their objectives and who do not understand the values and culture of your business. 

There are simple things any company can do to provide a positive induction: 

• Give a new starter a ‘buddy’ to help them in their first few weeks and even take them to lunch 

• Ensure IT requirements and equipment are ready and waiting (phones, passes, passwords, cars, tools, desks etc). A checklist is ideal for this 

• Provide a clear timetable of training in the first month and quarter. Define objectives for the initial period 

• Hold a weekly assessment to monitor progress 

Statistics show that an ineffective induction or no induction at all means that companies lose 25% of new recruits in their first year. Up to 20% of turnover of new employees happens in the first 45 days. Replacing each failed recruit could cost as much as 213% of the employee’s salary. 

 

Conversely employees who experience a good Induction benefit from a 50% higher productivity rate and have a 54% higher engagement. In addition, 69% are more likely to stay with the company for 3 years if they have experienced good onboarding procedures and induction. 

 

How often have you heard companies say ‘our people are our biggest asset’? Unfortunately, they do not always create environments that reflect that claim. 

High employee engagement and retention is one of the best indicators of company profitability and growth. Companies with high engagement earn 26% more revenue per head. So it is vital that companies develop a culture and policies that put employees at the heart of their businesses. 

Here are some elements that can make significant impact on engagement and retention: 

• Create a clear company vision and values that your people care about 

• Write clear policies so all staff understand their obligations, their rights and the consequences of breaching them 

• Ensure all your staff can be heard in a safe environment. Feedback to and from your people is vital to developing and retaining them 

• Define what the right type of person is for your business and build profiling into your recruitment to ensure you get the right fit. 

• Ensure every employee has a clear job description and objectives that can stretch them whilst being achievable. 

• Demonstrate genuine commitment to diversity and equality. 

• Ensure that pay is as equal as possible and bonus and commission schemes incentivise the right outcomes 

• Provide opportunities to develop and create a career path. Make sure personal development plans are written and assessed regularly 

• Make employee recognition a cornerstone of your business 

• Recognise your employees have lives outside of work. Allow flexibility so they can balance the two 

• Have fun! Life’s too short so make your workplace somewhere your people want to come to every day. 

So in short, create a structured recruitment programme that will increase the probability of finding the right people for your business. When they join, look after them like the precious jewels that they are. Finally build a culture and framework that will make your employees proud to work for you and drive outstanding performance.