Admin
An Executive Roundtable led by Robert Corlett, Founder of Staffing Advisors focused on recruiting, retention and reward best practices was held this morning at the Tyson“™s Corner Westin. Some of the comments and insights are:
Corlett offered the following key points in conducting “Results Based Hiring,“ On what workers want, he pointed to a study in the “The Enthusiastic Employee“ that stated the Employees priorities are:
1) Equity: to be treated fairly;
2) Camaraderie: to have warm, interesting and cooperative relationships with others in the workplace;
3) Achievement: to take pride in accomplishments, doing things well and receiving recognition for individual, team and organization accomplishments.
Corlett went on to talk about the 4 Factors that predict Employee Turnover:
1) Will I play an important role in the organization on year from now?
2) Does my manager recognize my accomplishments and can I have candid discussions with them regarding my performance?
3) Will I be worth more to the outside world than I am today?
4) Am I confident in my organization“™s leadership ability to handle the significant challenges to the business?
The group discussion focused a lot on the development of effective job descriptions. Corlett stated that the words and phrases like “multi-tasked, high-energy, fast-growth and dynamic “are vastly overused and do a poor job of connecting with prospective employees. Instead he recommends that your advertising relate to the value system of the employee to best fit the role. To do this, write an ad that helps visualize the situation and need to be fulfilled.
Cindy Caldwell of Viget Labs expressed how Viget Labs developed an advertisement for an office manager that included a true statement of the type of commitment required (occasional long hours) but also the type of visceral reward available, in this case it was applause for the effort at managing a large event. She said they received a large quantity of personalized responses and filled the position quickly.
Ralph Crozier of Grow Fast Grow Right asked if it were important that the ad be true to the culture of the organization and not an interesting but misleading story line. Corlett responded that indeed this is a vital distinction. The process/description must be true to the organization and the type of employee sought.
Becky Herring of Helios HR and George Korte of Total Resource Management asked how to retain the best people? Corlett told the group that an employee“™s first six months are vital, it is when a new employee is most enthusiastic about the company and role. Retention comes from paying heed to the four factors influencing turnover and fulfilling the promises made to the employee.
On attracting good candidates, Corlett gave the following insights:
1) Define the 3 most attractive, compelling attributes about the opportunity (no empty claims allowed)
2) Organize the interviewing process that will impress a top performer
3) Define the competencies that are absolutely essential to the role, avoid vague definitions like “˜team player“ that can be misinterpreted. Corlett advised being candid is best, prospective employees can detect spin and corporate speak and see it for what it is.
