Kimberly Jones is President/CEO at Butler/Till, one of the fastest-growing independent media agencies in the country.
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We’re entering a new year amid what’s being called the Great Reshuffle. As people reassess their priorities and look to find deeper meaning in their work, job-hopping has many businesses battling to retain top talent and compete for highly sought-after new hires.
Hiring and retention challenges are pressing concerns, but they also present exciting opportunities for leaders to take an honest look at what they have to offer employees and consider why new hires may be compelled to join them.
A better understanding of who you are as a company and what you hope to become can empower you to create truly differentiated employment experiences that help win employee loyalty and attract top talent. Here are four tips to help you win at hiring and retention in 2022.
Focus first and foremost on the people who make it possible.
A business is nothing without its people. In 2022, commit to providing the tools, training and technology that employees need to be successful and fulfilled.
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Creating a curated training and development curriculum will help each employee — brand new hires and also those who have been on board a long time — live up to their highest potential. It’s an initiative that can help expedite employees’ career growth and enable them to build financial stability while also supporting your business and clients.
Redefine work.
The pandemic kick-started a hybrid work environment, forcing change through necessity. Now it’s time for businesses to decide how to move forward.
Do you go back to the way work used to be defined, centered in the office around a traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule? Or break free from this and redefine what it means to your organization?
The power to make that decision now lies in the hands of employees. Employers have to earn the attention, respect and commitment of high performers by recognizing that they have other goals and priorities, both inside and outside of work. The traditional work setup isn’t necessarily conducive to pursuing passions and providing the work-life balance (or rather, integration) that is needed today.
At Butler/Till, we’re providing flexibility and, even more importantly, have redefined work by granting employees ownership in our business. Ownership gives employees the ability to make decisions to impact long-term gain. It gives them a sense of security — together, our employee-owners committed to zero layoffs during the pandemic — and nurtures a shared commitment to each other and our overall growth as a company. It also is a major attraction for those looking to join the organization and encourages employees to stick around.
Stay purpose-driven.
You won’t win loyalty with a promise to be purpose-driven. Purpose goes beyond marketing and weaves its way into everything you do as an organization. It includes choosing to work with partners who feel the same and regularly checking in with employees to ensure that they feel heard and are happy with what they are doing and where they are headed. This can be done via weekly one-on-one meetings with managers, employee engagement surveys, anonymous feedback opportunities, all-agency events and even just having an open-door policy to all of leadership — and encouraging team members to use it.
Another way to adhere to purpose and find satisfaction at work is to give back. Consider giving, collectively, to a charity or working toward a cause that is meaningful to your organization. Giving back feels good, supports your greater community and promotes a sense of camaraderie.
Bring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to life.
Most businesses will tell you that they are committed to DEI. Some will stumble when asked what that commitment looks like. It boils down to making employees feel at home and giving them purpose and confidence in their future.
A 2021 study examining DEI initiatives in business found that training sessions are among the most popular tactics, followed closely by recruiting more diverse candidates. Many of the survey respondents plan to add mentorship programs to that list as they work to dive deeper into bringing DEI to life within their organizations.
2022 Is Ripe With Opportunity for Excelling at Attracting and Retaining Talent
Business success is ultimately dependent on employee success — finding the right talent at the right time for the right role. The how-to? Provide opportunities that enable people to do their best work, while taking into account their happiness, peace of mind, financial stability and health. Get the equation right, and you’ll create a flourishing organization in which people will feel proud to represent, regardless of where they are every day.
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Author: Kimberly Jones, Forbes Councils Member
