Trying To Retain Rainmakers

Seventy-six percent of employees are looking for new employment opportunities, according to the 2005 U.S. Job Recovery and Retention Survey released today by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and CareerJournal.com Sixty-five percent of HR professionals indicated that they were concerned about the voluntary resignations at their organizations. To prevent a mass exodus, nearly half of the organizations surveyed are implementing special retention processes to keep their employees.

The percentage of organizations implementing special retention processes had increased to 49% in 2005 compared with 35% in 2004. HR professionals have found that competitive salary, career-development opportunities, promoting qualified employees and flexible work schedules are among the best employee-retention strategies. Although salary increases often are perceived as the most valuable incentive for employees to stay with their current jobs, they also are among the most difficult to provide because although the economy is improving, organizations are still somewhat cautious to increase spending.
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Will Your Sales Rainmaker Leave You Because of Gas Prices?

Employers Face Retention Challenges in the Wake of Record Gas Prices

The pinch at the pump is taking its toll on the American worker, according to a recent survey by Manpower. Among the 1,300 participants in an online survey conducted in September and October, more than two thirds indicated that rising gasoline prices are affecting their ability to get to work.

The most common ways that employees are adjusting in response to soaring fuel costs include:

Searching for a job closer to home 35%

Other 12% (i.e. driving more fuel efficient motorcycle, shortened driving route)

Increasing use of public transportation 6%

Purchased a more fuel efficient vehicle 5%

Carpooling 5%

Have changed jobs for a shorter commute 4.5%

Working from home or an alternate location 3.5%

No Change 29%
"It seems we have finally crossed a price threshold, and consumers are ready to make lifestyle changes in reaction to high gas prices," said Melanie Holmes, senior vice president for Manpower Inc. "This is a red flag to employers. The survey results show that 4.5 percent of people have already changed jobs and another 35 percent are thinking about it in order to reduce expenses associated with commuting. Clearly, the price at the pump is the newest threat to employee retention."

There are steps employers can take to avoid turnover attributed to the rising cost of commuting.

Provide employees with information about public transportation options, including bus and train routes, park and ride options and pricing details

Add onsite services, such as dry cleaning and banking

Offer telecommuting

Establish a corporate carpool program

Provide accommodations to support people who use other forms of transportation, such as bike racks, lockers and showers

Implement parking discounts to help balance the increased cost of fuel

Raise mileage reimbursement to the new rate announced by the Internal Revenue Service in September - 48.5 cents per mile (for use of personal vehicles for business travel)
"Companies are facing hardships related to the spike in gas prices, but they need to be sensitive to the fact that employees are experiencing a similar budget crunch," said Holmes. "Rising fuel costs are not just an operational business issue - there is a human resources component that must be addressed too."

60-Second Guide to Rainmaker Recruiting

A small business owner was looking for a few good employees for his alarm company. In the past, he advertised in the classifieds. Then, it dawned on him that the kind of employee he wanted probably wasn’t sitting at home reading the “help wanted” ads. His best workers had always come to him with personal recommendations. That’s when the first brainstorm hit. He chose a select group of customers and sent them a letter asking their help with his recruitment drive. He got his referrals and the unexpected benefit of engendering goodwill with his customers, who were flattered to learn he thought so highly of their opinion.

In just 60-seconds, you will learn how to recruit and hire good employees.

0:60 Take Recruiting & Hiring Seriously
The lesson here is to treat your employee recruitment efforts as seriously—and creatively—as you would any other business-related endeavor. A new employee is a major investment. There’s the cost of training and the cost you want to avoid—the mistake of hiring the wrong person.

0:46 Use Your Network to Find Good Employees
When you set out on your candidate search, do as the small business owner did and solicit referrals from customers. Ask acquaintances, colleagues and current employees as well. Other avenues include college placement offices, trade and professional associations and employment agencies.

0:38: Set up an Interview Schedule
When you begin receiving resumes, you’ll want to contact the best candidates and set up an interview schedule. Prepare a list of questions to ask each candidate. By asking everyone the same interview questions in the same way, you will be able to more fairly compare their responses.

0:20 Pay Attention to Your Initial Impression
Check the candidate’s references, but be warned that you may not get an accurate picture. Sometimes people will give positive references because they fear legal action. It’s better to rely on insights you glean from the interview and by paying attention to your own gut feeling. Ask candidates you are impressed with to come back for a second interview.

0:11 Be Clear About Responsibilities
During the hiring process, be clear about the new employees’ role within the company. Set expectations by defining job responsibilities before hiring the candidate. A job description clarifies everyone’s duties and heads off confusion about whom is responsible for what tasks.

0:03 Make the New Hire Feel Comfortable
Put your best employee in charge of training the new hire, and consider starting off with a three- or six-month trial period. If you approach your employee recruitment efforts with the same creativity and drive you do other business projects, chances are you won’t have a thing to worry about.

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Seen in Recruiting News August issue.