Retention and Recruiting

When thinking about how to keep a company successful in the long run an organization has numerous factors to consider. Businesses have to consider the economy, the political aspects and social and technological changes that may or may not occur. All of these are very important aspects to think about and use when completing a business analysis, but there is one factor that organizations may fail to realize is important and that is the value employees have to a company. Employees are the bread and butter of a company and could very well determine how successful a company will be in the future. It is important to make sure that employees are experiencing job satisfactions throughout the company and this job satisfaction must apply to all including those who are enrolled in internship programs.

Satisfied employees tend to be more productive, creative and committed to their employers and it is a proven fact that there is a direct correlation between employee satisfaction and customer/client satisfaction. (www.aafp.org) Most people believe the number one thing that keeps a person at their job is the money that they make and while this is part of the satisfaction formula it is on a small fraction. Job satisfaction can be split into two categories: hygiene and motivation. These two dimensions of job satisfaction are actually the poplar opposites of another. Hygiene issues do not motivate employees, rather they can dissatisfy employees if they are managed incorrectly. Hygiene issue include: company policies, salary, interpersonal relations and working conditions. (www.aafp.org) Motivators have to do with providing a means of personal growth and with fulfilling the needs of individuals. Motivators include achievement recognition, the work itself, responsibility and advancement. While hygiene issues are absolutely necessary, once they are in place and employees understand that they will be a constant factor in their time at the company it is important to move on to the motivators. Motivators make employees truly happy and happy employees will want to stay. Many Americans are working longer hours and the office is becoming somewhat of a second home to them. The workplace has to be a place that is as comfortable to them as home. Work has to be a place that people look forward to going to and are fulfilled by the final outcome of your job. They also have to be able to have a good work life balance so that they will not feel the stress of taking care of children, their elderly loved ones and other family oriented issues is going to interfere with the effort that they put into their jobs. A good way to make employees more comfortable is to acknowledge their accomplishments. It is important to show employees recognition. To keep employees happy managers need to appreciate employees. (eWeek) A simple “good going” or “job well done” is suffice and could make a world of difference. If employees feel respect and understanding from their managers and leaders they will want to work hard for them.

According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) it is quite easy to get your employees to stay with the organization at the present time, but this will all change soon. It is agreed that once the job market improves the turnover rate is going to increase tremendously. The most common short-term approaches that employers use it to gain a competitive advantage with some issues that falls in the hygiene category. The top three are tuition reimbursement, vacation and holiday benefits and competitive salary. SHRM advises companies to use retention strategies that will keep employees around for the long run and this starts with hiring the right employees. (Heathfield) Three key words that come to mind are assimilation, socialization and identification. This is the process where employees learn about an organization, get to know the organization and then become one with the organization. When an employee identifies with their company they will have a harder time “jumping ship.” (Zaremba)

Employees need to have the room to grow at their place of work. They also need appreciation, respect, acknowledgement and a sense of trust in them. (Gardner) When organizations begin to realize that one their greatest assets they have are their employees and begin to invest in them just as they would any other busy venture then they will