Try This:
The retention questionnaire
Take some time to answer the following questionnaire in order to judge the capacity of a your company to keep its employees engaged. The following questions are a good indicator of your commitment to retention.
My company is well regarded by people looking for work and employees say flattering things about their job.
I have an employee-centric culture that values internal customers as much as external ones.
My employees have ample opportunity to understand how their work contributes to the bottom line of the company.
I provide my employees with opportunities for growth and development.
I provide a comfortable, safe work environment and I have a good reputation in the community.
My leadership is accessible and provides vision and direction.
I care for the wellbeing of my people by making employees’ lives easier and less stressed.
I know how much it costs me to replace every employee who resigns/needs to be replaced.
I know the reasons for these departures and the difference between an avoidable and an unavoidable departure.
I know why employees stay or leave my company and what keeps them engaged.
The rate of turnover in my company is lower than the average in the industry.
I spend more time and money on my retention program than on recruitment.
Salaries and bonuses are linked to performance or the development of competences.
Our managers are trained to select, identify, guide, coach, reward and retain their people.
I know my job forecast and professional development plan for the next two years.
My employees are aware that they are an ‘asset’ in which one needs to invest and not a ‘cost’ to reduce.
I use a job satisfaction or engagement survey in order to understand the requirements of my employees.
I know who the talented employees in my company are.
I think that my company does what is needed in order to retain its valuable employees.
I regularly measure the effect of my retention strategy.
How many did you tick?
Under 5/20: You are regularly in the job market and finding it increasingly difficult to attract staff. Either you are challenging established thinking that a salary and a job are enough to motivate your employees or perhaps you have turnover rate of zero, so retention is not a priority for your company?
But let’s take a moment to think about the following: For your birthday, which present from your partner or spouse would give you the most pleasure? A cheque or a gift appropriate to your hobbies? The cheque would be easy and practical, but is not what one would expect to receive from a close family member. In this case, why do you as a company systematically use this method? It is time to research the individual satisfaction and personalised retention?
Between 5 and 10: The retention practices of your company are largely inspired by the concept of ‘the carrot and the stick’ and are centred on financial reward and Friday drinks. But you recognise that this mass motivation, used to obtain better productivity has reached its limits. Retention is not about “one size fits all”.
Between 10 and 15: You are conscious that your employees are as important as your clients and that you need to concentrate on the former to assure satisfaction of the latter. You know what is at stake with retention and you are committed to answer your employees’ demands in a culture of engagement. Excellence is on its way!
Between 15 and 20: You are an employer of choice and everybody should know it.