We completed our first Benchmarking Key Performance Indicators Workshop yesterday and are working through the results and reports. We used this workshop as a market research project to test drive this new process and assessment.

There will be a need for us to run a second workshop some time in September to test our adjustments. Same workshop, slightly improved (hopefully). We won’t finalize the date until mid-August, but please click here for more preliminary information.

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An envelope caught my eye this past week as I was rifling through my junk mail. Printed on the envelope was “Employee Recruitment & Retention.” Since that is my field, I decided to open it up. Inside, I found a complimentary copy of a monthly newsletter from Lawrence Ragan Communications dedicated to employee recruitment & retention.

I’ve never heard of this company, but I discovered a couple of interesting short articles on employee retention in their Quotes & Statistics section. First, What do workers want? You may be surprised. In it were the results of a survey of more than 1,000 US workers by the Sarratoga Institute (my emphasis).

When asked what factors would make them likely to remain with their current employers, here are their top 3 reasons:
1. Training and mentoring
2. Earnings potential
3. Positive work relations

The second article was titled Keep Workers in the Loop or They’ll Say Goodbye. In a survey conducted of 2,600 employees by Mercer Human Resources Consulting, they found that only 15% of those who enjoyed strong workplace communications were thinking of seeking new jobs. Now compare that to the 41% of the people in a tight-lipped organization thinking of seeking new employment.

Communication is crucial to management success and employee retention. Do not overlook its significance.

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CareerBuilder.com – Top 10 Recruiting Myths – Busted.

I’ll tease you with my 2 favorites:

2) Good questions reduce hiring errors
Good questions are essential but are fallible. Many hiring managers think that asking good questions will result in good answers and that’s it. Listening, observing and adjusting the interview is as important as a list of good questions. By noting how the candidate reacts to the questions, and listening intently do the details of the answer, the interviewer can learn much more about the individual and reduce hiring errors.

10) The ‘perfect fit’ employee is out there somewhere
All hiring managers would like to think that the ‘perfect fit’ employee is out there somewhere. It is possible, but unlikely that the perfect employee will be found for every open position. When hiring, consider a different approach. Look for a ‘good fit’ employee and allow some flexibility in the job duties, allowing the employee to leverage his or her individual’s strengths as the job evolves. That ‘good fit’ candidate may redefine the job and help take your organization to the next level.

Amen.
Read the whole thing.

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