While it's important to recruit new employees, it is just as important to create a process by which you're constantly re-recruiting your existing ones.
By: Will Helmlinger
Executives and managers often expend significant effort, time and money to recruit new employees. However, sometimes they fail to close the door behind them and re-recruit their current employees.
Whether you are experiencing growth, going through an acquisition or even seeing a decrease in headcount, your most critical asset is still your staff. And re-recruitment is your tool to retain superstars.
The focus of the re-recruiting process begins before the employee joins your company, and it doesn't end until he or she leaves your organization. The major components of re-recruitment include on-boarding, "water cooler" coaching, performance evaluations/employee development, and living the company's vision, mission and values.
On-Boarding
You've just hired a new employee. The offer letter has been sent and the new hire paperwork is ready for his first day. Now your re-recruitment efforts must begin in earnest. Once the person has accepted your offer, you have to ensure he will report for first day. Depending on the time frame between the offer and start date, you may need to have several conversations with your new employee, reassuring the candidate of his decision to join your company.
One method of cementing your initial relationship is to send the new hire paperwork to employees ahead of time. Have them read and sign the documents prior to their start day.
After the new employee arrives, he goes through your orientation process. Orientation is a welcoming event, an event that must encompass more than just processing the new hire paperwork and providing general introductions. In this tender phase of a new relationship, you set the tone for the employee and help him confirm his decision to join your company. On- boarding continues as you introduce him to his new role - what the job is and how it needs to done to be successfully executed. This is the time where you work hard to remove the new employee's fears, worries and anxieties of making the transition to your company.
On-boarding can last days, weeks or even months, depending on the role and individual. It's your job as a re-recruiter to make the employee comfortable, set expectations, explain, help, guide and direct him on a continuum to success.
On-boarding is a critical component during an acquisition. First you must re-recruit (get commitments) from your existing team. That means everyone from the top to the bottom of your organization. Personal, one-on-one conversations are best. And conduct them face-to-face whenever you can. Whether it's a written or verbal commitment, solidify your foundation and re-recruit your current staff before you attempt to recruit your new team members.
Water Cooler Coaching
You've finished your on-boarding process, and the employee is happy and productive. Now comes your next phase of re-recruitment - water cooler coaching.
This form of coaching is a conversation at the "water cooler," in the hallways or in private. This applies when you observe positive or negative events. Having an immediate and candid conversation with the employee strengthens positive behavior; it also makes the employee aware of the negatives that need to be changed.
Positive coaching is simple and direct. Speak with the employee immediately. It's OK to do it with others around. Congratulate the employee specifically on what he did; ask for his input on how he handled the situation. Let him confirm the positive experience, as this will reinforce his behavior. Again, commend him and ask that he repeat the behavior. This is another step in your re-recruitment process.
Not everyone will be the "perfect" employee. Sometimes corrective coaching has to occur. This, too, is another opportunity to re-recruit your employee. You have to clarify the objective with the employee. You may recommend extra training. You may work with the employee to remove obstacles to deliver the desired results. The message you send must be clear and specific. This is a caring conversation, as it reinforces that you want the behavior to change. And remember to meet in private for these re-recruitment events.
Performance Reviews and Employee Development
Your re-recruitment activity continues whenever you conduct performance reviews and discuss career planning. Performance reviews are meant to summarize the events of a specific period of time. This might occur in the first 90 days, every six months or annually. Bear in mind, performance reviews are exactly that - a review of a specific period of time. Now is not the time for surprises; it's a written summary of past known events. Reviews are a strong mechanism to ensure employees remain on-board with you.
Re-recruitment also occurs with your employee's career planning discussions. Career discussions are future focused. These are the discussions where employees further commit to your organization with their personalized growth plans. Likewise, you display your commitment to their future growth by providing processes, resources, and avenues for growth. The key is employee involvement and making employee development an employee-driven process. Their buy-in and self-accountability helps cement your continuing re-recruitment efforts.
Vision, Mission and Values
These are often overlooked ways to re-recruit your employees on a daily basis. Living your vision, mission and values begins with each leader and must spread throughout the company. Employees must see, hear and understand how and why these areas are important. Staff who know, understand, communicate and live your company's vision, mission and values are committed employees. Hence, they re-recruit themselves to your company each and every day.
The net impact of re-recruitment is you will see a more committed workforce, decreased turnover, increased productivity, more employee referrals, happier customers and, most likely, improved margins.
What are you waiting for? Take your first step today to re-recruit yourself. Then implement the process throughout your company