Strategies to help you find, hire and keep the best talent

Our HUB series, HR That Makes a Difference™, summarizes topics covered by Insperity Chairman and CEO Paul Sarvadi in his book, Take Care of Your People. This month we talk about strategies related to recruiting, selection and retention to help your company remain confident in finding, hiring and keeping the best talent.

Finding the best

Sarvadi believes that “developing and maintaining written job descriptions” is one of the most important aspects of the recruiting process.

“Hiring without a job description is like going grocery shopping without a list. But with the right planning, your chances of getting exactly what you need are higher, and you cut down on wasteful meandering around the aisles.”

Paul Sarvadi, Take Care of Your People

Reasons a well-crafted job description is important include:

• They set clear expectations for ongoing performance management.
• They outline duties and physical demands.
• They help attract the talent you’re looking for.

NOTE: Maintaining job descriptions is just as important as creating one. Job descriptions should be reviewed annually as part of the review process.

Does each role within your organization have a detailed and concise job description?  If not, the Insperity HR Resource Center can help with these resources:

• Forms:
  • Job description template
  • Job analysis form
• Guides:
  • Job description toolkit
• Checklists:
  • Job requisition checklist
• Training On-Demand:
  • Writing job descriptions
• Tools:
  • Job description library
• HR On-Demand Ask the Pro:
  • Customize job descriptions

Hiring the best

Important strategies in the process include employment screening and background checks.

“The frequency with which business owners skip this important step in the selection process is astounding. But pre-employment screening and testing is a necessity, not an option, when it comes to selecting the right employees. Drug testing, personality assessments, skills tests, and background checks help pinpoint whether the person is the right fit for the company.”

Paul Sarvadi, Take Care of Your People

Take advantage of the employment screening tools and resources available to you through the Insperity HR Resource Center:

• Laws and regulations (federal & by state):
  • Hiring procedures
  • Background checks
  • Medical testing and examinations
• Forms:
  • Background Check Notice (and Authorization)
  • Employment Reference Check Authorization Form
  • A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act
• Articles:
  • Background checks: when do they cross the line?
  • Credit checks in the application process
  • A guide to drug testing and drug-free workplaces in the era of “legal” marijuana

Retention: Keeping Top Performers

Strategies to retain the talent you hire are just as important as attracting and hiring top performers for your organization.

“Considering the sizable investment of time, energy, and funds involved in recruiting, and given the scarcity and value of outstanding people, businesses have an acute need to retain their best employees. Don’t get complacent here—even if your most proficient people are thriving in their roles and are generally content with their positions, they can still be tempted by outside offers.”

Paul Sarvadi, Take Care of Your People

 Key strategies that can impact your organization’s retention rate include:

1. Reward and recognition
2. Training and development
3. Communication and feedback

In addition, don’t underestimate the value of exit interviews. Whether conducted face-to-face or via an online form, it’s important that employers take time to determine the root cause of why employees leave, especially when they seemed to be thriving in their role. Guidelines to conducting exit interviews include:

• Tell the employee in advance what topics will be discussed.
• “When you start the meeting, clearly state your objectives, and assure the employee no adverse consequences will result, even if their answers are critical or they feel the need to vent.”*
• “Ask open-ended questions, and let the interviewee do most of the talking.”
  Paul Sarvadi, Take Care of Your People

The Insperity HR Resource Center offers tools and resources that can help you hold on to your top talent, including:

• Guides and worksheets:
  • Conducting an in-person exit interview
  • Employee self-guided form for exit interviews
• Articles:
  • How conducting exit interviews can help you increase retention
  • Worried about retention? The best way to keep employees is to be useful to them
  • Why training your employees is good for retention

The quickest and easiest way to access these tools and resources is through the Quick Links on your Client Landing page in iSolved, as seen below. You also may contact your Insperity HR services representative for assistance.