Karl Craig-West

A company's performance lies in the hands of its people!

Therefore how do you attract and keep them?

Besides having the right processes to follow when recruiting new staff you need to think about the company image you want to portray. Therefore, when advertising think about how it can attract the right people. Your advert is a window to your business - therefore in effect you are selling it to prospective employees. So look at the advert and ask yourself "If I was reading this, would I apply?

In this day you need to get it right from the start - applicants have a plethera of jobs to choose from and your vacancy will most certainly not be the only one they are applying for.

The average cost to place an employee in a job in the UK is about £4,000, so if you get it wrong, it is very costly not only from this initial cost but in lost management time in managing the employee's poor performance!

Therefore, think about the image you want to portray:

- do you come across as friendly ?
- do you specify the job correctly?
- how do you differentiate from other companies?
- do you portray a good image?

Once you have recruited this new employee not only do you have to comply with your legal obligations, but how do you keep them happy?

In the 21st century, the marketplace is changing and employees have a different perspective on their working environment and jobs. They want to be treated as individuals, be happy, valued and have a good relationship with their boss and colleagues. They also want to trust the company they are working for.

If your company has values, let them know about them then they know how to act and behave. However, these values only become real and meaningful when they are practised and managers lead by example through their decisions and behaviours, otherwise employees become disillusioned and the values are meaningless. They want to see a strong and inspiring management team with visible leadership that lives its values with good career opportunity in the company.

If you cannot accommodate their needs they will not be loyal to you and will be looking for a new job. Research has shown that over 36% of new employees on their first day in a job will continue to actively search for another one and over 69% are keeping an eye on the job market for new opportunities.

If you want to be a responsible employer see if you identify with these 5 key characteristics:

- Treating individuals fairly
- Responding to the changing needs of individual employees over time
- Providing good quality products and services
- Listening to employees
- Understanding the importance of values

If you recognise your employees you will gain you a strong sense of commitment from them and they will be motivated and inspired and will stay which will improve your business success and bottom line.

This article was submitted by Carol Ann Guilford of HR Solutions.
You can call Carol on 01536 503408 or visit her website - www.hrsolutions-uk.com