Carol Schultz, Contributor
Your people are the backbone of your organization, and its success hinges on their dedication and commitment.
Their level of engagement, productivity, and overall connection to your company determine its success. These factors play an even bigger role than the level of funding, the quality of your product or service, or an outstanding sales strategy.
This is why it is so important to attract and retain talented employees. The process begins with recruiting the right people, followed by efforts to retain them, and finally, focusing on developing their skills.
Over the years, leaders have come to me claiming they have a recruiting or retention problem, when, in fact, it was a much deeper issue. To hire the best talent and keep them, you must lead from a people-first point of view.
It fundamentally comes down to learning how to approach talent acquisition correctly, creating a culture of feedback, and communicating effectively. As a former recruiter for three decades, I have compiled my top techniques for finding and retaining ideal candidates for years.
To better attract and retain talent, employers should take these five actions: design a functioning talent strategy, craft outreach, create a feedback culture, ask the right questions, and train managers effectively. Patience is needed during the implementation of these changes to succeed.
By employing these comprehensive strategies in conjunction with the guidance of a skilled coach, your organization has the potential to undergo a profound metamorphosis and reshape its legacy.
1. Design a Functioning Talent Strategy
The importance of having a well-defined talent strategy cannot be overstated when it comes to finding and hiring the right people for your company. Before you begin searching for prospects, you must have a plan.
A “talent strategy” must be created in alignment with your business strategy. It lays out who your ideal candidates are, where you’ll find them, and how you’ll find them.
This strategy is best designed at the executive level, led by your chief talent officer (CTO), and assisted by all members of your C-suite. Because every aspect of your company should be considered, all members should collaborate.
In a kickoff meeting with executive team members, the CTO should ask questions about culture, communication, work ethics, etc. These responses will then be incorporated into all searches. Of course, moving forward, each search would fill in each role’s specifics.
Once in place, the chief talent officer will oversee its implementation moving forward. When filling individual positions, a recruiter and relevant manager should work together to complete the search. By implementing more strategic approaches to the hiring process, you will begin to observe significant changes in the quality of talent you attract.
Unfortunately, many organizations still rely on the traditional and ineffective practice of delegating hiring responsibilities to the human resources (HR) department.
When HR heads the hiring process, the result is usually: “I can’t find the people I want.” or “My people are leaving.” HR acts as a support for employees, but since HR isn’t seated at the executive level, the department doesn’t have enough context or expertise to understand and find what the company truly needs, not to mention that their people lack power.
HR should not handle recruiting initiatives. I repeat: HR should not handle recruiting initiatives.
2. Carefully Craft Your Outreach
Once you have a comprehensive talent strategy in place, you’re ready to attract your ideal talent. This process requires careful thought and consideration.
The information you initially put out there to attract prospects is more important than you think. A poorly written position description can instantly deter prime candidates before the recruitment process even begins.
The most significant factor when writing a position description is the research completed beforehand. The person crafting it must first interview stakeholders to get an accurate picture of the ideal candidate. This involves asking a series of questions, around 45-50, to understand the role and team dynamics better.
Some of these questions might include:
- Where does turnover occur?
- What group will the candidate be working in?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing team?
- Are there any major situations the candidate will be walking into?
When you begin writing the position description, honesty is key. One reason an employee may leave is due to inaccurate expectations provided during the hiring process.
Also, it’s advisable to leave out exact compensation, as this may rule out higher-quality candidates too soon. Instead, use a phrase like, “Competitive compensation commensurate with experience.”
Once you start conducting interviews and you find a candidate you see as a fit, it’s important to sell them on why they should want to work for your company. In many cases, quality talent is already working for a quality organization and won’t be easily swayed by a salary increase without solid reasons.
Important factors like the manager they would potentially report to, company culture, communication throughout the company, and its leadership will play a significant role. Another employer will always be able to offer more money, but no one has your unique combination of people, culture, and vision.
This uniqueness is your competitive advantage in the talent market. It’s what sets you apart and makes you an attractive choice for potential employees. So, make sure to highlight these aspects during the recruitment process.
It’s not just about attracting talent—it’s about attracting the right talent for your organization. And that starts with a well-crafted, honest, and compelling position description.
3. Create a Culture of Feedback
You’ve staffed your growing company with the best people. Now what?
The work has just begun. Think of the relationship between your workers and your company as ever-evolving.
Like your personal relationships, if you don’t work on them, they may devolve over time. You must fashion an environment where each worker feels connected and valued by the company. I call this a “culture of feedback.”
Research has shown that feeling underappreciated is a leading reason for quitting. So, prioritize the following to maintain long-lasting employee relationships.
To establish this culture within your organization, leadership must commit to the principles first, leading by example.
Is your leadership team open to each other when issues arise? Do you practice effective communication with one another? Before you can instill this in your workers, you must implement itthis within your executive team. It starts with the CEO.
Briefly, after I began recruiting for a tech organization, a lower-level employee informed me of an issue within the executive team. They clearly didn’t have a culture of feedback present. Issues within the team should be openly addressed before they trickle down to other levels.
To implement a culture shift, call an all-hands meeting dedicated to discussing this topic. Declare that you encourage any level of employee to speak up when they have a concern. Be sure to specify that no retaliation will be taken. It is easier said than done, but speaking it into existence is important to initiate the change.
From that point on, when people come forward, make sure they are met with active listening and solution-focused reactions. And again, lead by example.
The CEO must request feedback from employees. Each situation will build trust, contribute to the overall culture, and, in turn, leave your workers feeling valued and connected.
4. Ask Questions
Every person working for you is unique, each with their own set of needs, challenges, and desires. There is no one-size-fits-all method to motivate every person to work hard and love your company.
The only method that will ensure success is to ask questions. A simple “How is everything?” can go a long way in a company with a culture of feedback.
Management should make it a point to regularly host check-ins with each individual, no matter how many employees there are. These check-ins should have no agenda other than a temperature check.
This approach not only demonstrates that you care about and value each worker, but it also enlightens you about issues that you may not have realized beforehand.
Whether an employee has a baby on the way that is causing stress at work, they have decided their current role is not a fit, or they would like to be promoted—you won’t know unless you ask. And when you ask, you need to listen and respond accordingly.
If an employee is thinking about quitting, you will know why beforehand and be able to prevent it if it’s a factor within your control.
In addition to this, it’s important to provide support in various forms. This could include mental health days, promotion opportunities, training sessions, coaching assistance, and more. Each of these extras will strengthen your employee-employer relationship and improve retention.
Fostering an environment where employees feel heard and valued can lead to increased job satisfaction, productivity, and loyalty. When you take the time to understand each employee’s unique needs and challenges, you can tailor your management approach to meet these needs, ultimately creating a more engaged and motivated workforce.
5. Train Your Managers
According to a 2019 survey, over half of employees quit their jobs due to poor management. Based on my observations, I’d assert that this number has likely increased in 2024. This is why managers need in-depth leadership training that goes beyond merely handing them a list of duties on their first day.
Managers should ideally function as the glue that holds your organization together. They should be the eyes and ears of the company, equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve problems as they arise.
Being a manager is a challenging role that requires experience and training. It’s important not to promote your top salesperson to a managerial position just because they excel at an unrelated task. Instead, find managers who fit the needs of the role and are adaptable to the training they will receive.
The training provided must cover effective communication, as this will form a substantial part of their day-to-day work. Knowing when to send a message versus when to call a meeting, how to react when feedback has been provided, and how to guide their reports are all crucial aspects of communication.
A great manager-worker relationship can drastically reduce the likelihood of an employee leaving the company.
I recall a client who left a new position after only one week because she overheard her manager yelling on the phone at one of her peers. This made her feel uncomfortable. Had that manager been properly trained in communication, she might have stayed.
After this incident, I began coaching the manager, who was initially unaware of his behavior. After much work and introspection, he realized his mistake and adjusted his tone.
Effective management really is about more than just delegating tasks. It’s just as important to build relationships, foster open communication, and create an environment where employees feel valued and heard.
Investing in comprehensive leadership training can help companies cultivate managers who not only excel in their roles but also contribute to a positive and productive workplace culture.
Throughout the process, keep this in mind: people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers. So, make sure your managers are worth staying for.
Be Patient
If your company currently operates under the “traditional” hiring setup, change will take time. The only way to attract and retain workers will be to identify and fix the issue at its root. Use the above insight to guide you to the issue.
Small steps over time will accomplish this without overwhelming your leadership team. Slow, steady improvements will signal you are on the right track.
Think of your company as a car and your employees as parts of it. Will your car run if one part isn’t working properly? Perhaps, but not as well as it would if each part was working at peak performance. The last thing you need is to have your car break down on the side of the road because you weren’t paying attention to the signs.
CAROL SCHULTZ, founder and CEO of Vertical Elevation, is a talent equity and leadership advisory expert with 30 years in the business. She’s helped hundreds of companies transform their organizations and create sustainable, talent-centric cultures that run at maximum efficiency. Her new book is Powered By People: How Talent-Centric Organizations Master Recruitment, Retention, and Revenue (and How to Build One).
