Cost-Free Ways to Attract & Retain Top Talent
In a world of fierce competition for talent, how can your organization stand out to attract and retain top talent?
In a recent podcast interview, Montani Consulting’s Founder Katherine Daniel shares cost-free gems that pull together the business function and the mission of an organization. Katherine’s mission is to understand human behavior, why people do what they do, and, as a result, what makes them successful.
The first gem may seem obvious and is not used nearly as often as it should. The foundation of attracting and retaining great talent comes down to one thing and it’s free: the job description. And while it’s not a fun document, it’s the best place to start.
The job description is a good place to challenge responsibilities and serves as a great conversation starter.
Katherine reminds us that the art of creating a job description is a collaborative process. Collaboration allows the leader to review the job description alongside an employee and see what the employee is focused on. This is a great place to see if there are any discrepancies between what the employee is contributing and how the leader sees the role.
From an employee perspective, a great practice to start is by reviewing the job description every 90 days. Katherine suggests printing out the job description and leaving it on your desk for a week. At the end of the week, look through the list and see if there’s anything missing. With any job, there are new job responsibilities that may be overlooked. And with a quarterly review, one can capture the changes in any role. It’s also important to capture what’s no longer relevant or perhaps something that’s been delegated.
With this quarterly cadence, the employer and employee are well equipped for a fair and accurate yearend review and able to alleviate any doubt as to performance. It’s a company document that supports the very foundation of any role.
Organizations should use the job description as a tool to see where employees are more familiar and proficient as it provides clarity to the role and supports an open channel of communication. And best of all, it’s free!
The job description is also an incredibly useful tool during the onboarding process. It’s a great way to set the tone and start the employment process with open, honest conversation. The employer has the opportunity here to put the new employee at ease and it helps build expectations around direct feedback.
Five years ago, the number one factor in obtaining and retaining top talent was compensation and paid time off. Today there’s been a significant perspective shift.
The pandemic provided a catalyst for re-examination. Employees now want purpose and connection in their job roles. Studies show that workers’ desire for this connection is widespread. This, therefore, is a great opportunity for organizations to get creative and draw connection with every position in the organization. It’s important to clarify every role that helps drive the mission, and it’s more important now, more than ever, to provide the direct line between the two.
Although accurate job descriptions and the direct connection to company mission may take time to document, the effort will hopefully bring deepen increased employee retention.
When organizations have clarity of the where and the why and it’s all included in the job description, they are freer to can get out of the way and watch where the company goes. With the impact of a mission-driven organization and an employee base that supports it, the business will succeed exponentially.
Finally, there’s a hidden ROI in job descriptions. Organizations can maximize savings from turnover by attracting talent that is a good fit for the organization. In turn, employees know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. That clarity brings greater job satisfaction.
If you hire the right people who have the skill set and who believe in your mission and how to execute it, it’s amazing to watch the company grow!
The hardest issue to solve here is committing the time to makes things better. And yet, when you carve out the time to do these things, the impact that it will have on your business is phenomenal.
Whether you're hiring, looking to retain top talent, or desire job stability, this episode is a bright light in what is often a cloudy venue.
To continue the conversation with Katherine, connect and follow her on LinkedIn, check out her website, Montani Consulting and while you're there, sign up for the newsletter.
Listen to the full podcast interview with Katherine Daniel on Episode 102 of Office Flip Flops Podcast titled “How to Stay Employee(d)” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy podcasts.
You can watch the interview on YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe!
About the author:
Francesca Zampaglione is the Founder & Owner of Dressed Smart LLC, a Brand & Image consulting firm located in the Greater Philadelphia area. Francesca is an international speaker with over twenty-five years’ speaking experience. Learn more about Francesca’s workshop highlighted in this blog post titled “How to Elevate Your Virtual & In Person Brand.” Understand the importance of body language to build trust and lasting relationships for business success.
Her podcast Office Flip Flops is an international show that maximizes your happiness and inspires in 20 minutes or less. Office Flip Flops lives in all the fun places podcasts live like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Audible and Alexa to name a few. Subscribe and follow today!