Compensation and benefits no longer dictate the why and when, a talented person joins or departs from a company. Today, the two most important factors are the quality of leadership and the ability of employees to work in a relaxed way.
In this article, we offer you 10 team leader tactics, which must attract and retain the best talent imaginable, at the most difficult time imaginable.
1. Teach the business: In large organizations, employees rarely have a clear sense of what their employer produces, what they market, what their industry is like, or what their company's competitive advantage is. Sometimes people need to see the company from the outside, before they can fully understand it. Therefore, it is important to take your team to exhibitions, where the company's products or services are presented. This engages you and helps you understand your contribution.
Show them your balance sheet and help them understand how everything they do can affect it.
When people are educated, they commit. And if they're engaged, they're probably having fun too. Who is going to leave a compromising and fun job if, in addition, the pay is good?
2. Promote career changes: For a long time, titles no longer define a person's identity or role. Today more than ever, employees consider themselves to be people free to change jobs, with great frequency and little hesitation. Therefore, companies must adjust their jobs to be more fluid and effective.
Create a "Talent Inventory" that contains each employee's name along with their skills and interests (job related and others). Thus, the company's leaders can use this database to propose new jobs to employees that are sure to interest and challenge them. Sometimes this will mean creating a new job for a valued but restless employee. The benefit of retaining talent is far more important than the hassle or cost of rethinking the organization chart.
3. Pay Attention to the Golden Rule: Don't treat people the way you want to be treated. Treat them the way they want to be treated. Each company is a range of people with different needs and expectations. Leaders need to recognize the importance of "personalized service" if they hope to retain the best talent. It all depends on you, you, you… and you.
4. Encourage freedom of expression: Organize after-hours; Go out to lunch with your team and joke around with them before your next meeting. By encouraging all members to speak frankly and openly, the leader builds a climate of trust. It is this climate that, in turn, will provide you with the vision of what the people in the company think. This way you will know of frustration, anger and apathy, before they manifest: it is your opportunity to act proactively.
A simple wall can say a lot, so you could use "the graffiti wall." In other words, a surface that becomes a discussion forum for topics that employees do not feel comfortable expressing openly.
5. Establish a “sponsorship” system: A mentor is something like the new employee's “crystal ball”. Although not widely used yet, mentors give people a sense of "belonging" when they enter a new organizational environment. By immediately introducing new recruits to the "organizational culture," mentors make them feel important and necessary to the success of the company. If they feel needy, they are more likely to want to stay.
New employees need to see the social network in action. In other words, they need to witness the interactions between people, see the meetings they unfold, and share lunch with people from all parts of the organization. They need to see how things actually work.
6. Be fun: Let the people in your organization "personalize" your space - this will build a "nest" that will encourage productivity and creativity. Buy some cans of paint and some accessories and let them make… the difference in the environment and the attitude will amaze you.
It is important for leaders to orchestrate "spontaneous trips" with their teams. In other words, go out together and without planning from some work they are doing. This type of outings communicate a culture of sincerity and fun.
7. Know your people: Whether your team consists of a group of 3 or 193, you should know the name of each person who works with you. There is no more to say.
8. Clarify your communications: New employees rarely know exactly what is expected of them: how they will be evaluated, or who they will work with most of the time. Communicating all of this clearly and immediately is the leader's job. Team leaders must communicate expectations concisely and clearly from day one. This establishes a sense of order and confidence in all employees, new and old.
9. Conduct "exit" interviews: Talent retention often begins at the end of the process… If you don't have a clear end in mind, when conducting the interview with someone who is leaving your company, you are missing out on a Great opportunity: An employee who leaves and no longer has "commitments or ties" to the company is an extremely important source of feedback. Of course, for this type of interview to be effective, it must have generated a climate of trust BEFORE. Long before receiving the resignation.
10. Sell your company: Sell your company to talented people, in the same way that you would sell your products to your customers. Advertise your competitive advantage.
Leaders must arm themselves with a set of attractive and irresistible phrases for talented people. Your speech must be concise, motivating and, in addition, you must answer these types of questions:
How is your company different? What do you understand by working relaxed? What is your vision? What is your competitive advantage? Why should a talented person join your team? What benefits do you offer?
