Employee replacement is expensive. Not only is your staff’s work not getting done, but neither is yours as you focus instead on hiring and onboarding oversight. By some estimates, replacing an employee costs approximately one-fifth of that worker’s annual salary. Keep in mind, although you cannot please every individual, a professional that feels appreciated, challenged, and well compensated is a loyal employee. A stable workforce saves your company money and maintains business continuity. Your enterprise can reap significant economic benefits over time by carefully hiring, training, and supporting your employees.

Recruitment: the first frontier

Recruitment tools enumerate two critical steps in the hiring process: defining what the job entails, and identifying the most qualified candidate to fill the position.

• The job description can both attract and deter the best candidates. Recent studies
  indicate job descriptions that describe the anticipated worker experience will attract better applicants than descriptions that simply list job duties.
• Post the position where it will find likely candidates that you want. Social media channels attract different types of job seekers; LinkedIn might have a wider pool of corporate-type workers, while Facebook may reach more relaxed potential employees.
• Additionally, thinking outside the box and exploring job boards and blog sites as well as networking meet-ups and job fairs specifically targeting Information Technology professionals will increase your chances of finding passive candidates.

Comprehensive hiring practices lay a foundation for success

Each person in the candidate pool offers different talents and abilities. Interviews provide the first glimpse into what each candidate has to offer. Some hiring managers look for these attributes:

A ‘career’ focus

People looking to advance their careers bring a strong personal drive to succeed in your organization. Not only will they work hard, but your goals will become theirs and their success will ultimately drive your own. They will also enjoy adding another bullet about their capable work capacity to their resume.

Compatibility

Some people bring negative attitudes from their last job to their new job. While interviewing, ask how the candidate manages challenging people — co-workers, bosses, or clients — to measure resiliency in the face of adversity. Also, ask the candidates about their interests in general. Being conversational during the interview process will give you a better idea of who your candidates are and how they will be able to contribute to the growth and success of your organization. Moreover, you want to make sure you are hiring individuals who will mesh well with the company culture and other employees. Finding ideal candidates who seem like the “right fit” rather than an able body simply filling a position is a big step toward creating greater employee retention.

Create the right environment

The investments made in recruitment and top candidate hires pay off when the employee makes a long-term commitment to the company. A positive workplace environment is often instrumental in encouraging commitment. Here are some key tactics to keep in mind:

• Transparency in expectations, concerns, and accolades keeps workers engaged in their activities and trusting their superiors.
• Acknowledging the office and life balance offers respect for the worker’s family circumstances, and can reap just as much, if not more, loyalty to the company’s fortunes.

Each employee represents both an asset to and an investment in the company. Those resources should be respected throughout the worker’s time with the organization. When you look at your workforce through that perspective, you can see why keeping your employees happy can be the foundation for your corporate success.