Staff Retention Begins With the Hiring Process

Wouldn't it be great to get off the "turnovercritical factors. Sometimes organizations make
treadmill?" If you're serious about realizing thatproductive use of multiple interviews to complete
dream, you need to look at the totality ofthe initial assessment of the applicant, including
employee experience in your organization. Youinterviews by potential colleagues. This enables the
cant wait till the a new hire has been with you sixapplicant to directly hear about some of the pros
months to start worrying about how long they willand cons of the work environment. All of this
stay. Better to plan for longer retention beforetakes a lot of time and a willingness to pay
the hiring process is complete.attention to the findings and conclusions of the
If you want to improve your ability to retainprocess. In other words, the hiring officer needs
staff, your hiring process is the place to start. Ato be prepared to say "no" if the match is not
serious candidate should leave their first interviewstrong enough, regardless of how badly the
with a clear understanding of the mission of yourposition needs to be filled.
organization and the requirements of the job forThe rush to hire is an important obstacle to good
which he/she is being considered. The applicanthire decisions. This panic to fill a position is
should know what the organization has to offerespecially typical of entry level vacancies in human
and should have a clear answer to theservice organizations or other situations where
question..."Why would you want to work here?" Allvacancies create real operational problems. It's
of this means that whomever is doing thealways a mistake to hire a "body" just to have
interviewing needs to be prepared for this initialthe vacancy filled. You can count on starting all
discussion, which should help both applicant andover again before the person finishes the first
hiring officer get a sense of whether or not thereyear. That truly is the "turnover treadmill". It's
is a "match" between the applicant and the needs,expensive financially and it's disastrous for
culture and characteristics of the organization.whatever process is being managed. So you'll be
Increasingly, the hiring process includes anbetter off by paying overtime to fill the vacancy
objective assessment of the candidate'stemporarily rather than hiring someone whose
strengths, weaknesses, temperament and otherqualifications are marginal or non-existent.