STAFF RETENTION PROCESS AND/OR LEVEL
The retention of an employee in organizations starts during the hiring process and continues through the orientation and integration of the employee within the organization.
Hiring
Taylor found that most employees' turnover is due to hiring mistakes that could be avoided. Some of the strategies for a hiring process that can help staff retention include:
1. Establish good relations with communities and schools to create a pool of candidates.
2. Identify the strengths and personal self-actualization goals of potential employees.
3. Create a well-skilled hiring team that matches the strengths and personal goals of candidates.
4. Provide the hiring team with the necessary tools and flexibility to conduct a good interview.
5. Do not rush the hiring process; bad hires can create disaster in a short amount of time.
6. Define clear expectations with candidates.
7. Develop an employee growth portfolio upon hiring.
Orientation
Orientation aims to ease a new hire's adjustment to an organization, providing information about work expectations, and creating the employee's strength-based self-confidence to work toward the achievement of the organization's goals. The orientation stage is very critical to retaining staff in organizations. Too often employees leave their jobs right after they have been hired because the orientation process made them think they should quit. To be successful, orientation must involve appropriate strength-based matching between the orienteer and the new hire.
Integration
The integration of an employee in an organization is a key factor for retention. Integration can foster the commitment of employees to organizations. Kiger (2000) explained that employees commit to organizations that offer opportunities to learn, valuable compensation, career growth, caring human resources management, competitive benefits package, and organizational reputation.
In addition, integration should provide the employee a work environment of trust, respect, and happiness. Howard and Gould (2000) argue that employee happiness is related to job success, achievement of career goals, being valued, opportunity for professional development, accommodation for individual difference, recognition of achievement, and personal support. This will in turn contribute to employee commitment and higher productivity (Howard & Gould, 2000). According to Schwepker (2001), turnover rates tend to be lower in organizations that offer a climate of innovation and creativity.
Integration is an ongoing organizational challenge to promote and practice strength-based promotion and self-improvement opportunities, continuing assessment of employee satisfaction/dissatisfaction, continuing education, immediate rewards and recognition, and consistency in organization philosophy and practices. Some people leave organizations because they feel rejected. They are not integrated as a part of the organizational system and structures. In a 2000 survey of the American Management Association (AMA), high-tech workers said they would stay in their job if someone had tried to keep them there (Branham, 2000).
Rewards and Benefits
The reward system is the basis of all motivation and staff-retention strategy. Behavioral scientists have attempted to design explanatory models that present reward as a predominant causal factor of motivation and behavior modification. However, the value an individual attaches to a reward may vary from one category of employee to another, and may also vary over time.
In fact, monetary compensation undoubtedly helps satisfy the most basic needs of every human being. However, to be valuable, the wages must be part of a competitive inclusive work environment through noncompensation rewards, such as:
- Promoting constructive social relationships with coworkers
- Allocating sufficient resources to perform work assignments
- Designing jobs that require adequate attention and effort
- Granting sufficient control over the job to meet personal demands
- Offering supportive leadership and management
- Enhancing dignity and satisfaction from work performed
- Enhancing physiological health, psychological well-being, and emotional maturity (Henderson, 1989)
Participation
Participation can generate commitment of employees to organizations and help employers retain productive professionals. Participation means matching strengths and personal goals of employees with their tasks/assignments. Participation means inviting employees to help solve organizational problems. This allows employees to commit to determining the basis on which their performance will be assessed and appreciated. Also, participation can increase employee commitment toward the fulfillment of an organization's mission, vision, values, and goals. Participative involvement of employees in an organization's decision making increases productivity and decreases resistance to change.
