LinkedIn’s Head of Talent Solutions on retaining great employees
LinkedIn’s Head of Talent Solutions on retaining great employees | Resourcing | HR Grapevine
And with almost four out of ten jobseekers turning down their first job offers, it’s incumbent on HR departments and recruiters to curate an employment package that considers employees’ actual needs, or they’ll find themselves on the turnover treadmill, in a vicious cycle of recruiting outgoing talent.
Not only is finding, interviewing and training new employees costly and time intensive, a high churn can be detrimental to remaining employees’ morale, believes Jon Addison, Head of Talent Solutions LinkedIn UK.
Speaking exclusively to HR Grapevine, he argues that the initial recruitment stages can help to identify an appetite for longevity in your business. “At LinkedIn, we recently launched ‘Inside the Mind of Today’s Candidate’ – a global piece of research which sought the views of over 6,500 professionals and 7,700 recent job-switchers across the globe,” he says. “Our research has revealed the top reasons why professionals stay in their companies and why they might start looking for new opportunities.”
Those reasons, complete with solutions, have been listed below…
UK professionals want to feel challenged
“The top reason why British professionals stay with their existing company is access to opportunities to challenge themselves or improve their skills,” Addison explains. “‘Not feeling challenged enough at work’ and ‘wanting a more senior position’ also appear in the top five reasons why professionals look for a new role.
“This means that employers must take a joined-up approach to hiring and retaining talent. It is vital that recruiters use the interview process to understand what it is that a candidate really wants to achieve from a role, as ensuring that there are opportunities for them to meet their ambitions in the company they are matched to will undoubtedly impact their longevity after accepting an offer. As an employer, investing in learning and development that matches up to the skill sets and aspirations of your team will also pay dividends in the long term.”
LinkedIn’s Head of Talent Solutions on retaining great employees | Resourcing | HR Grapevine
Work-life balance is a must
With work-life balance creeping up the agenda for most professionals, companies offering flexibility have a better chance at retaining talent. “Whether you offer flex hours, days off in lieu or working from home options, it is important to communicate what your company is doing to help attract new employees and encourage them to maintain that all-important work-life balance,” Addison explains. “This will not only help you attract talent looking for a change, but remind existing employees of the benefits they have access to – making it more likely that they will stay on board.”
Leadership makes a difference
The old adage ‘you don’t leave a company, you leave a boss’ was echoed in LinkedIn’s research, with UK participants admitting that poor company leadership is the second most influential factor in their decision to look for a new role.
“To retain talent, it is vital that employers are promoting their leadership teams and using them to showcase plans for the company’s future,” Addison adds. “Social media and LinkedIn company pages are great ways of doing this, especially in global organisations where employees may not have daily face-to-face access to management.
