Scared you can’t keep them? Figure that out before hiring

We talk with a lot of leaders interested in Arrowhead’s recruiting services who ask questions about how long our guarantee period for a placed candidate is. We are comfortable answering the question, but our team grows concerned if the conversation comes back to the topic repeatedly.

Why? Because prospects who express a high degree of concern about our guarantee period are often sending you a clear message that they aren’t confident in their ability to retain talent.

Think about it for a second: if a hiring manager, before the interview process begins, is fixated on what happens when an employee leaves, that’s a red flag. Shouldn’t a manager be thinking about all the great things the new hire will accomplish instead of when he will put his notice in?

If you find yourself wondering if you could ever keep a talented person on your team, you need to do some soul-searching. Start by asking yourself some questions like:

·       Who knows my work style and would provide honest feedback about my approach to managing teams?

·       Have I lost employees inside of a year in the past? Why did they leave?

·       When I’ve lost employees, did I ask them for feedback as to why they’re leaving? Did I accept their feedback or reject it?

Further, you may need to conduct an audit of your company’s culture to determine if it’s adversely impacting retention. An easy way to define company culture is “People like us do things in this way”. Ask questions along these lines:

·       What kind of employees do well in our workplace? What are their traits and characteristics?

·       Do we spend a lot of time on unnecessary political battles and rivalries?

·       Do we suffer from high turnover, and, if so, has anyone investigated why?

·       Can I impact our culture enough to positively influence employee retention?

Conducting a thorough, honest assessment of your management style in conjunction with your company’s culture will provide you with solid information to make the necessary adjustments to keep talented hires on your team.