Article: Improve P&L through Lower Turnover (3 of 4)



Improve your P&L through increase staff engagement and lower turnover. (continued)
There are four primary actions that managers need to perform to increase engagement:
	Communicate explicit expectations. How much is to be accomplished, at what level of proficiency and by when?
	Provide information and resources. Do employees have the tools, equipment, materials, information and processes to complete what is expected? Have your managers asked their employees this question? If anything is lacking, it's the managers' job to get it for them.
Measure, recognize and celebrate. Although expectations have been communicated, employees don't necessarily do what's expected, but will generally do what's inspected. Measure results and, when goals are met, reward and celebrate.
	Care. Care is a verb—an action—not just an emotion. Take the time to know who's working for you. Unless you know what their motivators are, what their strengths and skills are, you can't make those emotional connections that are so vital in making people stay.
So, what does is cost to implement these four actions? Very little.
Hire right the first time.
Most leaders agree that if you don't get the hire right in the first place, you can't expect great success later. To be sure to get that right mix, your recruitment process should include:
		Advertising that clearly projects the key skills and attributes you want. A screening process that ensures excellent job fit. A job profiling process is strongly recommended for this. Interviews based on behaviors that are known to lead to success in the job. Background screening that is thorough and truthful. Orientation and training that is complete – never place anyone in a sink-or-swim situation.
The cost of putting these in place? Some extra time, a few assessments and a richer orientation.
Ask them how you're doing.
Does your company’s culture embrace employee input? You may want to consider a workforce engagement survey to see what improvements need to be made to increase productivity and morale (matters that are intrinsically tied together). Do you have a suggestion box? Do you conduct 360^o evaluations giving employees an opportunity to rate their bosses? Are you conducting exit interviews? All these data points are critical to ensuring you’re doing the right things to engage your people. Again, what’s the cost? Very little compared with the payback.
Strategic Workforce Planning
Even in these days of very flat organizations, it is critical that everyone knows their place in the organization and where the growth opportunities lie. If advancement isn’t an option, do some cross-training. Job enrichment through taking on special projects will keep people fresh. Annual evaluations coupled with career development plans must be living documents. Succession planning to build bench strength and project future advancement is a must. You may also want to think about career deceleration as a way to hold onto mature talent vs. utilizing straight retirement planning. The cost to do this – only time and commitment
	Make the investment today for short and long-term gains.
It should be clear that you don’t need to lay out a great deal of cash to resolve the impact of turnover’s hidden and insidious costs. A commitment of time and energy will be your greatest asset commitment. Beyond that, implementing surveys, assessments, 360^o evaluations, management skills training and a few other low cost items and you’ll see a significant enhancement to the bottom line.
For more information on how to implement a cost reduction plan through a staff retention strategy, contact Jeff Jameson, Principal of Jameson Associates at jeff@jamesonassociates.com or 480-668-3676. Visit our website at www.jamesonassociates.com.
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