Managers Are The Key To Recruiting And Retaining Employees

By Marcus Miller

In a study by the Wall Street Journal recent job changers were asked what factors were most important in their decision to take their new job. Here are their responses:

• Control over work content
• Job security
• Stimulating work
• Fringe benefits
• Flexible work schedule
• Advancement opportunity
• Salary/wages
• Size of organization

On closer examination, most of these factors are in the hands of the new employee's immediate manager. These are the perceptions the employees had from the interview process and what they thought they knew about the company before they joined the organization.

However, for established employees, here are the reasons people leave their jobs:

• Lack of respect for the individual or for their contributions.
• Stagnation and lack of growth and challenge on the job.
• Poor communication about where the company is going, what they are expected to do and how they are performing.
• No involvement or employee participation in decision-making.
  

Again, the most common reason for taking or leaving a job, is the manager. So how do companies create a meaningful, systemic change in the way managers lead? Here are some thoughts:

• Stop promoting people into managerial positions simply because they have more seniority or because they are the best technical performer. Instead, identify the critical leadership skills that are needed and build these competencies into your promotion criteria, training programs and performance reviews.
• Give managers the training and support they need to do the job. Few people are fully equipped to step in and manage a dynamic work group. They need skill training, support groups, roundtables to discuss common issues and a support staff who can help with tough decisions. They also need to have a voice in the policies they have to administer.
• If your company has some poor managers who aren't meeting the minimum standards that are required, do something about them. Do it for their own sake as well as for their employees and the company. These managers usually know they aren't cut out for the job and are often relieved to be reassigned. Sometimes they need to leave the company altogether. In any event, don't look the other way and hope it goes away. It doesn't.

Managers are the key link between the organization and the employee. Invest in your managers and help them become successful.

Marcus Miller (Marcus.Miller@LEAPJob.com) is the President of LEAPJob (www.LEAPJob.com), a Human Resources Consulting firm focused on improving its clients' capabilities to attract, hire and retain great people. You can reach Marcus at 905.281.3090, Ext. 21.