Employee Retention
...Perception By implementing an employee recognition program, that will recognize employee good behaviors, reward it and will then encourage repeat performance. Currently there is a monetary reward system in place that recognizes good timekeeping and attendance. This is published quarterly result and the employees concerned are rewarded monetarily. Also the there is an employee council, where a monthly representative from each department attend and discusses any issues that concern them. Feedback is then feed back to the department via this representative. This has been a successful initiative of participative management. It also increases communication between management and employees. Leadership In many surveys senior management is the reason behind those that will leave their company. It is accepted that leadership comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The discussion of whether leaders are born or made, are widespread. As discussed in the Training & Development section there has been in-houses programs ran. Supervisory and front line staff have embarked on this training. McGregor’s Theory X and Y were discussed in the program. McGregor’s theory Y holds that people are naturally drawn to hard work and to act in a responsible manner. His theory X discusses that people are lazy and will avoid work at all costs. These people will not perform to a high standard of work without coercion and compensation. Good leadership encompasses coaching skills. Kalinauckas & King (1994) discussed the key features of coaching. 1. Active Listening 2. Questioning 3. Being non-judgmental. 4. Being candid & Challenging 5. Praising & Recognition of Performance. 6. Creating Trust 7. Giving Encouragement & Support 8. Communicating future goals. 9. Building rapport Bernard Bass (1990) distinguishes that there is two types of leaders. Transactional and transformational leaders. He also suggest that the latter is becoming more prevalent .What the training course is hoping to accomplish is that the frontline mangers of the company will learn the traits to become transformational leaders. Recruitment & Selection Burgin & Allen-Garrett (2000) “Most organizations now recognize that people are the key to competitive advantage. This means not only hiring the best but retaining the best. The consequences of staff turnover can pose serious problems particularly given he current skills shortages. Although many companies focus on remuneration the use of the golden handcuffs it is not the answer for retaining staff in the long-term” A good recruitment and selection program is key to the retention of staff. The pre employment process most be strong and well researched. By having a good job description and person specification in place it will make the process more robust. Having a good recruitment process will make the section process more effective and allow the company to select the best fit for the organization. In coming months supervisory staff will now sit in on interview panels. Training & Development Training & Development can be a useful tool in combating Employee Retention, as long as the training is smart. Six months ago a new T&D Specialist Coordinator was introduced to the company. In this timeframe he has introduced several new training initiatives .Taking data from the Performance Appraisals, European Strategic Plan and the Plants Training Needs Analysis. He has developed tailored in-house courses, for Team Leaders, which addressed many issues, that have never been explored previously. As discussed previously, Motivation was included as a core pillar in the construction and delivery of this course. Prior to this, training for Team Leaders was concentrated on Payroll issues and the Disciplinary Procedure. The T&D Coordinator discussed Motivation Theorists such as “ McGregor “ and “Herzberg “. The course is set out over a two day ¬¬¬¬¬period over two weeks. Feedback so far has been positive, although the real merits of the course can not be gauged for at least a period of one year By given this group of Frontline Mangers the skills to communicate and motivate with there staff more effectively. This should have a positive effect on direct staff retention and Involuntarily Staff Turnover for 2005-2006. Mobley (1982) discussed that “Manufacturing had the highest median separation rate and that the goods producing organization had over twice the separation rate of service producing organizations” In, the environment is constantly changing, therefore I think consideration should be made to Change Management. Performance Appraisals The key to successful Performance Appraisal is Smart Training for those involved. One month prior to Performance Appraisals, those involved are engaged in a 2 week comprehensive training course. It involves the practicalities, how to develop effective feedback based on actual events and counseling services. Carried out successfully the organization, mangers and the appraise can gain from this process. It evaluates the past performance and set objectives for the future. The Performance Appraisal is an opportunity to evaluate and determine Training and Development initiatives. I feel that Training & Development initiatives should be reviewed bi-annually as job responsibilities can change or if a supervisor implements a succession plan, that employees involved should be trained ASAP. The performance Appraisal also gives an occasion to the employee to engage and participate in their own development in the company. The performance appraisal can also weed out poor performers; these can be serious de-motivating factors that affect high performing individuals. These can be aligned to the organizations strategic plan. The reward system can also implemented along with a change of job descriptions and responsibilities. These should meet both the employees intrinsic and extrinsic needs. The reward design should also capture not only monetary rewards but must look at job enlargement and enrichment. These should enhance the individuals self esteem and self worth. Exit Interviews In 1999, exit interviews were revised and re-introduced to the companies process. The process was revised to gain a greater understanding of why employees were leaving. The turnover is greatest in the Production departments. For example...