Staffing Articles

Cutting staffing levels may seem to be the most straightforward solution to a cash flow problem. Meeting payroll can be stressful when profits are down. Simply reducing the size of this monetary commitment may relieve some immediate pressure. However, a reduction in force is often merely a short term solution to underlying issues surrounding overall profitability. Long range planning is crucial to weathering economic fluctuations successfully. If your company hopes to recover quickly from a recession, there are a number of steps you should consider taking now.

It may seem that in today’s well connected world recruiting should be easier than ever. The internet makes posting job openings quick, efficient, and inexpensive. However, anyone who has actually waded through Monster or CareerBuilder lately knows that these sites are filled with what can only be termed spam. Work from home schemes and get rich quick “sales” positions make up a significant percentage of the posted opportunities. Job hunters can get burnt out pretty quickly trying to figure out which companies are actually hiring.

Employees who are thinking long term are more likely to stay with your company if they understand the advantages of doing so. The opportunity to build a strong foundation for retirement is one benefit that your company may offer through 401(k) plans, pension plans, profit sharing, and stock options. However, retirement is not the only eventuality workers should keep in mind when reviewing their benefits package. A disabling accident or illness, the need for long term care, and death are all possible outcomes for each individual.

Oddly enough, stressful times can actually offer a golden opportunity for you to increase employee motivation. During a time period when layoffs are on the rise, many people start feeling like expendable pawns. They fear they may be sacrificed at any moment to help the bottom line. If you can create an atmosphere of teamwork, your workforce will become more cohesive in response to the difficulties your company must face. Encouraging creative problem solving offers employees a chance to deomonstrate their true capabilities. This is a great self esteem booster.

High retention rates have a number of benefits.  Reducing employee turnover allows your company to minimize recruitment and training costs.  It also provides you with a stable, knowledgeable workforce.  These experienced workers have fewer accidents.  All of these factors lead to increased profitability for your business.  Here are some ways you can help keep your best and brightest on the job.

A recruiter’s goal is to provide a steady stream of qualified new hires to fill open positions. All HR departments occasionally make mistakes in their recruiting decisions.  They end up with employees who are incompatible with the job or with the work environment.  Sometimes they have difficulty finding enough people to fill the available positions.  Review these 5 phases of the hiring process and see if you notice any tips that will help your company.

Some companies tend to cut short the initial acclimation period provided for new hires.  This wastes a valuable opportunity to bring workers fully on board.  Employee orientation doesn’t have to stop after the first few days or weeks on the job.  Keeping track of new hire progress should be an ongoing process.  This may involve trainers and supervisors working together to ensure that each employee is settling in to his/her role.  Checking in with workers regularly over the first several months is one way to increase employee engagement and long term satisfaction. 

Some employers can’t seem to convince staff members to stay for more than a couple of years before they move on.  Other companies experience very low rates of turnover.  Is there something to be learned from workplaces that demonstrate excellent employee retention?  Absolutely!  
Companies that consistently attract and retain high quality workers all pay attention to 3 key areas.  Here is what they are doing right.

Losing one employee after another can be very discouraging.  If several of your best workers leave the company within a short time, there is usually something wrong.  It may take some investigating to find out what is going on.  Once you know what the problem is, you can work to reduce this type of employee turnover in a couple of ways.

Corporations with a high employee churn rate face expensive recruitment/training costs, loss of productivity, and a remaining workforce that ends up overworked and therefore more likely to quit.  Recognizing the most common causes of employee turnover allows a company to take steps to hire and retain qualified personnel.