| How often do we hear that Human Resources is in | | | | order to find out why they left (and where they |
| charge of the organization's retention mission? More | | | | landed!) |
| often than not, the job of thinking about retention and | | | | 4. Do some research on key competitors or others in |
| its impact is a key role of the company's human | | | | your industry. Are your retention numbers in line with |
| resources professional and unfortunately, unless there | | | | theirs? |
| is a crisis, that role falls to the bottom of a very lengthy | | | | 5. Finally, ask yourself this key question "why would I |
| list. As we continue to brace ourselves against the | | | | want to stay here?" The answer to that question |
| labor shortage, HR is finding that it needs to move its | | | | should help you formulate your Human Resources |
| thinking about retention to the top of the list. How | | | | Retention Mission!Once you have your baseline |
| should Human Resources go about beginning the | | | | information, it is time to start working within your |
| conversation around retention? Most HR professionals | | | | organization to figure out what to do next. Having the |
| will agree that HR can't do it alone. It requires the entire | | | | support of the top leadership will be imperative and |
| organization to (1) admit there is a problem and (2) | | | | getting them involved in the conversation up-front is |
| want to do something about it. In the examination of an | | | | critical. Your new found insight is meaningless if you |
| organizations retention problem, the first task must be | | | | don't have the support and involvement from the top |
| an analysis of current retention statistics. The HR | | | | right from get-go. If you determine that a key manager |
| leader must examine why people are leaving in the | | | | is responsible for the majority of the turnover, there |
| first place. Good questions to ask include: | | | | are going to be some difficult conversations and you'll |
| | | | need support in order to have them. In addition, you'll |
| 1. Do we have department specific attrition that might | | | | need the support of senior leadership if major changes |
| be caused by a poor manager? | | | | in structure, job roles, compensation, or benefits are |
| 2. Is the work load unreasonable? | | | | necessary. |
| 3. Is our salary structure competitive? | | | | One way to head off problems before they have a |
| 4. Could our current interview process be improved? | | | | chance to fester is to implement a 360 feedback |
| 5. Do we have room for professional growth within our | | | | system. That should help indicate problems early on in |
| organization?Getting a handle on "the current state" is | | | | a manager's tenure. In addition, ongoing dialog with |
| always the first step in creating the "desired state". In | | | | current employees and managers is critical in |
| examining the five questions above, a recommend | | | | determining your Human Resources Retention Mission. |
| approach includes: | | | | They key to the retention mission is information. |
| | | | Without it, you are going to be stuck. Information is the |
| 1. Get a baseline in terms of your current attrition rate | | | | key to making the case for any type of organizational |
| 2. Interview key managers about attrition within their | | | | change. Armed with information, Human Resources |
| department and other departments within the | | | | can now make their case for a retention mission. HR |
| company | | | | becomes the catalyst for change. That change goes |
| 3. Survey people who have left the organization in | | | | a long way in making HR a strategic business partner. |