attract develop and retain initiatives to sustain a competitive workforce

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By Karyn Cooper Mining Industry Skills Centre Workforce Retention Series – Paper 1 Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

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By Karyn Cooper

Mining Industry Skills Centre Workforce Retention Series – Paper 1

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a

Competitive Workforce

The Mining Industry Skills Centre is committed to implementing the Skills Strategy and working with the industry

to ensure that it is supported as it plans and develops its workforce. We look forward to your continued support

and feedback as we undertake this process.

Yours faithfully

DEREK HUNTER

CEO, Mining Industry Skills Centre Inc.

FOREWORD FROM THE CEO

In December 2007, the Mining Industry Skills Centre released the document ‘Securing the Critical

Capability – towards an holistic skills strategy for the mining industry’. This document was the

culmination of nine months of detailed research with industry stakeholders that identified two

Priorities for action – Workforce Planning and Workforce Development. Each of these Priorities

was then divided into key Goals that together aim to support the industry to ensure a sustainable,

skilled and safe workforce for the future.

This paper has been developed by the Mining Industry Skills Centre in conjunction with the

Queensland University of Technology as the first of a three part series to address the sixth

Goal within the Priority of Workforce Planning – Retention Strategies.

Priority Strategy one: Workforce Planning

Priority Strategy tWo: Workforce DeveloPment

goal 1 To investigate and communicate the outcomes of a variety of attraction strategies used by the mining and other industries.

To monitor and align education and training programs to the knowledge and skills required for career pathways within the industry.

goal 2 To identify clear and accessible career pathways for the mining industry. Pathways to encompass: • Operator roles; • Maintenance roles; • Professional roles; • Supervisory roles; • Leadership roles; and • Statutory roles.

To increase the uptake of accredited training within the mining industry where it accurately reflects the industry’s skilling needs across a range of Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) levels and for there to be confidence that accredited training can produce the appropriate level of skill attainment.

goal 3 To increase the intake of apprentices in the mining industry and to maximise the available talent pool for apprenticeship recruitment with appropriate training and education opportunities.

For the industry to have leading practice training and mentoring options to produce highly skilled supervisors and managers.

goal 4 To attract and develop employees in professional roles in a timely manner and to maximise the extent of the talent pool by offering a variety of career entry points.

To create industry specific professional development for Trainers and Assessors that encompasses leading practice in: • Learning facilitation and assessment • Learning management • Learning technology • Training program design and implementation • Interpretation of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) framework

goal 5 To develop a positive image of the mining industry and career possibilities through effective and strategic marketing and communication.

To identify and model training delivery frameworks for different types of skill development within the industry.

goal 6 to investigate and communicate retention strategies used by the mining and other industries.

for the industry to strive for leading practice in training and move beyond training focused on compliance.

goal 7 For the industry to value the positive outcomes of workforce development and how it can impact on an organisation’s bottom line.

goal 8 To ensure the training of current and future employees delivers the skills industry will require as it adopts new technologies.

1Contents

Contents

Brief overvieW 2

introDuction 3

attracting aPPlicantS 4

Employment Marketing 4

E-Recruitment 5

Employee Referrals 6

Workplace Diversity – Attracting Female Applicants 7

Employer Branding 8

attracting aPPlicantS – training & 10

career DeveloPment initiativeS

Training & Development Agency for Schools (UK) 10

Doorways 2 Construction 11

AccountSkills 11

retention StrategieS 12

Exit Interviews 12

Work-Life Balance 13

retention StrategieS – training & 15

career DeveloPment initiativeS

Career Counselling 15

Learning Portals/E-Learning 15

Mentoring 16

Employee Engagement vs. Employee Involvement 16

concluSion 18

referenceS 19

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

BRief oveRview

• London Police Force (UK)

• ITA – IT Software Organisation (US)

• Australia Post

• GE Energy (Global)

• SelectMinds (US web based organisation)

• Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation

• Mack Truck

• United Water

• IBM

• UBS AG Young

• Bunnings Warehouse

• SC Johnson

• Wrexham County Borough Council (UK)

• Deloitte and Touche (USA)

• Hilton Hotel

• EDF Energy (UK)

• The Grady Memorial Hospital (USA)

With a predominantly employee-driven market,

industry is continually called upon to come up

with new strategies for attraction and retention.

the mining industry is currently experiencing

an unprecedented shortage of skills.

Specifically, the mining industry is suffering

from a severe skills shortage in the areas of

trades and professionals. this paper provides

readers with information on what initiatives

industries around the globe are implementing

in order to attract and retain their talented

workers. various case studies are presented

and outcomes provided. Below is a brief

summary of the organisations that are

included in the research paper.

Image courtesy of Tourism Queensland

3introduction

intRoDuCtion

at this time of rapid environmental change and

fierce competition, one of the most significant

factors for an organisation’s competitive

advantage is to attract and retain talented

workers. as advised by the recruitment and

consulting association results from a survey

conducted on the members from the association

in 2007 revealed that the top 10 industries

encountering a severe skills shortage were:

1. Non-building professional engineers

2. Business professionals

3. Non-building engineering associates and technicians

4. Building professionals

5. Building associates and technicians

6. Electrical trades (building)

7. Non-building electrical and electronic trades

8. Receptionists and telephonists

9. IT and telecommunications professionals

10. Carpenters and joiners

In particular, the mining industry experiences severe shortages

in many of the above areas, specifically in the areas of trades and

professionals. With a predominantly employee-driven job market,

industry is continually called upon to come up with new strategies

for attraction and retention, including new ways to enhance

workforce diversity whilst incorporating the competing needs

and views of key stakeholders, such as shareholders, unions,

managers and so on. This paper will provide the mining industry

with information on what other industries around the globe are

doing in order to attract and retain skilled and knowledgeable

workers and the short and long term benefits of such initiatives.

Image courtesy of Tourism Queensland

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

AttRACting AppliCAnts

in today’s tight employment market, the continuous

search to find qualified, talented employees is an

ever increasing, sometimes difficult, process.

for an organisation’s ongoing success,

ensuring the talent pool is infused with productive

employees is crucial. for an individual’s success,

being recruited by the right organisation is a

significant individual need (Phillips and connell

2003, 136). thus organisations that proactively

seek to implement effective recruitment practices

can reap the benefits of getting the right people

in the right job at the right time, every time.

EmploymEnt markEting

Job advertisements are the first step the organisation takes to

engage potential applicants (Feldman, Bearden and Hardesty

2006, 125). They are the first source of information for applicants

about how an organisation will go about selecting employees

and what kinds of roles are being offered to employees.

Job advertisements are a form of employer marketing thus

including particular information in job advertisements can

contribute to whether an applicant will apply for a role or not.

Besides job duties and responsibilities, providing other specific

information in the job advertisement such as remuneration,

developmental opportunities, family-friendly policies and details

about the workplace environment is likely to have a positive

impact on the applicants’ perception of the organisation.

Such information can lead to more positive recruitment outcomes

for the organisation (Feldman et al. 2006, 126; Lee 2005, 175).

In addition, organisations that provide such information may

also be perceived as a particularly desirable place to work.

Depending on the job or industry, unique recruitment strategies

to persuade candidates to apply need to be considered.

Such is the example of London’s police force recruitment

campaign in 2000 (Fanuele 2006, 24). The traditional aspects of

recruitment, such as job duties and remuneration were not used.

Instead, by advertising on television, the advertisement showed

how difficult the role of a police officer is (Fanuele 2006, 24).

One television advertisement featured a Falklands war veteran.

As the war hero wept, he asked viewers to imagine “going around

to someone’s house… to tell a man that his wife and child had

been killed in a car crash” (Fanuele 2006, 24).

The television advertisements displayed the policemen’s job as

one that was distressing and dangerous. The advertisement

provided a telephone number and website address for prospective

applicants. More than 100,000 enquiries were received. The police

force recruited 6,000 new officers – a fifty percent increase from

the year before (Fanuele 2006, 24). Fanuele (2006, 24) believes that

part of the attraction was due to the advertisement asking a huge

professional dare: “Are you brave enough to be a police officer?”

Furthermore, the television advertisement was viewed as being

realistic, and thus was more appealing to viewers.

Another unique recruitment strategy was undertaken by American

based IT Software Company, ITA. The company ran a series of

job advertisements on the Boston subway (Tynan 2006, 40).

The advertisements displayed on the walls of the subway,

featured complex puzzles and challenged the public by asking

“If you can solve this, you can work here” (Tynan 2006, 40).

After a number of years, the organisation still receives calls from

people remembering the advertisements and making enquiries

about possible employment (Tynan 2006, 40). Advertising the

company name publicly can attract qualified people.

Recently, in an article published by The Sunday Mail,

Australia Post Queensland launched a recruitment drive

aimed at getting retirees and stay-at-home parents to deliver

mail on foot (Gumbleton 2007, 44). Such a recruitment drive

was initiated due to the limited recruitment of delivery officers

with motorbike licences. Trials have commenced and new

push-buggies have been designed and built. Media releases

such as this newspaper article can get enquiries started and

bring about a new target market of potential applicants.

Unique attraction strategies can further open the market of potential

employees. While the research (Feldman et al. 2006, 126) suggests

ensuring all positive aspects of the organisation should be included

in the job advertisement and that job seekers be provided with a

realistic job preview, there may be diverse and different recruitment

strategies that attract the right applicants for a particular industry

(refer to Table 1 for suggested measures of attraction).

5Attracting Applicants

SuggEStEd mEaSurES of attraction

• Ratio of employment applicants to open positions

• Percentage of applicants considered “A” candidates

• Average days to fill vacancies

• Ratio of acceptances to offers

• Applicant dropout rate

• Number of recruiting sources used

• Percentage of new hire referrals who stay at least six months

• Average monthly percentage of open positions

table 1: Suggested Measures of AttractionSource: Branham, L. 2005. Planning to become an employer of choice. Journal of Organizational Excellence. 24(3): 57-68.

E-rEcruitmEnt

“ The war for talent has moved to the Internet. You’d better have a battle plan.”

Capeli, P. Harvard Business Review, Mar 2001 79(3): 139-146

As demonstrated thus far, job advertising can be done through

a variety of mediums, such as local, national and international

newspapers, industry magazines, radio and television to influence

prospective employees. Today, the most common, convenient

and cost-effective way to advertise jobs is on-line, or what is also

known as e-recruitment. Lee’s (2005, 175) study which evaluated

and analysed the career websites of Fortune 100 companies,

concedes that e-recruiting is one of the leading e-commerce

applications used as a method of quickly reaching a large pool

of potential job-seekers. Most importantly, e-recruitment reaches

a pool of job-seekers unconstrained by geography thus further

widening the market of potential employees.

Ensuring that organisations’ web pages entice Internet job hunters

to surf deeper within their site rather than broadly across various

sites is becoming an increasingly important consideration in

e-recruitment (Feldman et al. 2006, 135). GE Energy, a global

organisation which produces products and services for the energy

industry, provides a link on its web home page for “job seekers”.

The potential applicants are promptly provided with information

about the organisation’s diversity, employee benefits, work/life

balance policy, developmental opportunities and why the job

seeker should work for GE Energy. In addition, users have access

to information regarding vacant positions around the globe.

GE Energy also provides users with access to a video about the

Women’s Network Group, a group formed within the company

that assists females with professional career development within

the organisation. Access to this information emphasises the

importance GE Energy places on workplace diversity hence

increasing its chances of recruiting females.

Lee (2005, 176) agrees that utilising audio, video and multimedia

technologies on an organisation’s website can have a significant

impact on increasing the interest of potential job applicants.

The increase in the job interest can lead to a higher response

to the job advertisement (Lee 2005, 176). Capitalising on this

success, organisations recruiting for jobs which are situated in

remote locations could use video and multimedia technologies

on their website. Using such technology can inform the user about

the remote locations and what these remote communities have

to offer. This may contribute to increasing an applicant’s interest

and willingness to relocate to such an area.

Cappeli (2001, 141) strongly recommends that organisations

capitalise on the internet’s ability to spread information through

informal networking. This enables organisations to promote

themselves cheaply and effectively. One way of informal

networking is to encourage employees to email jobs to friends

(Cappeli 2001, 141). According to Horwitz, Heng and Quazi’s

(2003, 32) study, on-line recruitment relying upon an organisation’s

website can be an ineffective practice as the job seeker does not

visit a company’s website unless they are made aware by other

sources of potential job vacancies. This can result in potentially

good applicants being excluded from the candidate pool.

Hence, Cappeli’s (2001, 141) recommendation to enhance

informal networking to overcome such a barrier. SelectMinds,

a web company based in New York, USA assists in enhancing

the informal network for organisations by creating on-line alumni

networks that are used to locate and rehire past employees as

well as distribute marketing information (Cappeli 2001, 141).

According to SelectMinds’ website, www.selectminds.com,

they assist organisations with on-line corporate social networking

solutions and industry alumni. Social corporate networking and

alumni enables organisations to build relations with important

constituencies, recruit and retain scarce knowledge workers and

increase the speed at which information and knowledge pass

through the organisation.

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

“ On average, SelectMinds client companies believe that Corporate Social Networking contributes to an increase in retention of 8.83 percent.”

www.selectminds.com.au (accessed 17th January 2008)

Attracting applicants is vital in an employment market which

has limited supply of potential employees. Using e-recruitment

is both cost-saving and effective in reaching a global market

of potential employees, but as Cappeli (2001, 140) points out,

“the human touch is still indispensable”. Making contact with

potential candidates must be fast. This will show candidates

that the organisation’s on-line operations work efficiently, effectively

and are organised in the way they do business. Quick contact

will also avoid the candidate being recruited by another company.

In a tight labour market where few people are looking for jobs,

organisations need to use any or all methods of recruitment to

source potential applicants and at the same time ensure the

organisation’s good reputation is upheld.

EmployEE rEfErralS

An informal recruitment strategy such as employee referrals can

also be an effective tool in recruiting capable job candidates.

The research of Rynes, Colbert and Brown (cited in Ryan and

Tippins 2004, 310) shows that applicants recruited from job

advertisements have a higher turnover than those who are

recruited via referrals. Similarly, Rafaeli, Hadomi and Simons

(2005, 358) conducted a study which compared successful

placement of applicants through formal (advertising) and informal

(employee referral) recruiting sources. Their findings revealed

that organisations that rewarded employees who bring in new

hires with a modest bonus after the new hires stayed with the

organisation for more than a year increased the cost of informal

recruiting (Rafaeli et al. 2005, 363). At the same time this brought

significant advantages to the organisation such as ensuring

person-organisation fit (culture) and reducing turnover of new

recruits (Rafaeli et al. 2005, 363).

The use of employee referrals is demonstrated in an article

published in the Travel Weekly. Author, Carroll (2007, 5) discusses

how travel companies, such as AOT Holidays offer a spotter’s fee

to all employees. Half the spotter’s fee is paid upon recruitment

and the other half after the six month period of the new recruit

remaining with the company. Carroll (2007, 5) confirms that AOT

Holidays has paid out the spotter’s fee on a number of occasions

and this strategy has contributed to successful recruitment of

job candidates and reduced turnover of staff in an industry that

is experiencing a shortage of suitable employees with relevant

knowledge and experience. Similarly, the Snowy Mountains

Engineering Corporation (SMEC) based in Sydney, Australia is

offering $500 to any employees who can find someone to work

for their company, and an additional $2,500 if that new recruit

stays after the six-month probationary period (Coultan 2007, 7).

This is due to extreme shortage of engineers the organisation,

and the industry, is facing. Spending money internally on an

organisation’s own employees may be worth more and cost less

in the long term than spending the money externally on

recruitment agencies because the organisation’s own employees

are in a better position to know who the right person for a job is.

Heavy investment in its own employees when it comes to

recruiting efforts is demonstrated by ITA Software, a company

based in Boston, USA. In an article published in Infoworld,

Tynan (2006, 40) describes how ITA offers their employees $5,000

bonuses for successful referrals and at the same time encourages

peer reviews of candidates. The HR Director explains that ITA has

a bottom-up approach to interviewing potential job candidates

(Tynan 2006, 40). Employees, particularly software engineers,

are involved in the interviewing process. The HR director states

that one manager and at least five engineers take part in the

interview (Tynan 2006, 40). This interviewing process has

subsequently contributed to the recruitment of highly qualified

staff, and in turn has contributed to lower staff turnover.

“ Recruiting isn’t part of their job, but they want high quality people as colleagues.”

Melissa MacDonald – HR Director of ITA Software

Source: Tyan, D. Infoworld. Sept 2001. Vol (28): 40-41

Conversely, Ryan and Tippins (2004, 310) argue that although

employee referrals may be an effective recruitment strategy,

it may also have an adverse affect on organisational diversity.

Ryan and Tippins (2004, 310) recommend that organisations

should strive to attract suitable job applicants but at the same

time ensure that the organisation is creating a diverse workplace.

7Attracting Applicants

AttRACting AppliCAnts

WorkplacE divErSity – attracting fEmalE applicantS

Particular corporate images portrayed in recruiting

advertisements may directly influence the attractiveness of

jobs offered to applicants. Applicants will want to work within

an organisation that enhances their self-esteem or the esteem

in which they are held by others (Feldman et al. 2006, 125).

In a telephone interview conducted with the Human Resources

(HR) Manager of Mack Trucks; based in Brisbane and part of the

AB Volvo Group, the HR Manager advises that the organisation

is currently developing its recruiting initiatives to encourage

women to apply for various positions within the workplace.

Through the print and television medium, Mack Trucks has ruled

that every advertisement will show at least one female with the

aim to increase attractiveness to female applicants. Avery and

McKay (2006, 160) agree that organisations that endeavour

to portray varied racial and/or gender composition in their

advertisements attract diverse applicants.

Furthermore, Mack Truck plays a role in the Australian Women

and Leadership Forum as one of few principal sponsors.

The Australian Women and Leadership Forum is a national

initiative designed to support the increased presence of women

in leadership roles across all sectors. Workplace Training Advisory

Australia plays a key role in the delivery of the Australian Women

and Leadership Forums. Publicised sponsorship of minority

and women’s causes will convey the impression to women and

minorities that the organisation values diversity hence inducing

positive perceptions among the members of these groups

(Avery and McKay 2006, 171). In addition, organisations can

benefit from holding Australian Women and Leadership Forum

workshops in-house. Such benefits include highly customised

content, convenience of on-site sessions, and most importantly,

making it visible to employees that the organisation supports the

development of their female staff (www.womensforum.com.au

accessed 22nd January 2008).

Developing strategies to increase the attraction and retention

of females expands the possible employment opportunities

for any organisation. To qualify and be accredited as an

employer of choice for women, organisations need to meet

the strict guidelines of the Federal Equal Opportunity for Women

in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) (refer to www.eowa.gov.au).

A South Australian company, United Water is the only utilities

company in Australia developing a range of strategies to meet

accreditation (Bawden 2008, 4). The company has about forty

women among its workforce of 440.

Traditionally a male-dominated industry, with a focus on

engineering and civil construction, the company is endeavouring

to be the leader in the field to attract more women to the industry

(Bawden 2008, 4).

United Water’s initiatives include, women returning to part-time

work from maternity leave (which attributed to United Water

becoming a 2007 EOWA Finalist for its job design and flexibility

program) and working part-time from home with one day a week

at the office (enabling those who care for children at home).

Also, the company offers fourteen weeks of paid maternity and

paternity leave, and the option to purchase annual leave to use

for child-minding purposes (Bawden 2008, 4). Bawden (2008, 4)

states that such flexible practices has kept staff turnover at less

than ten percent.

IBM, one of Australia’s largest IT companies, is one of the

country’s most female-friendly workplaces. Table 2 provides

a summary of EOWA initiatives undertaken by IBM. Such initiatives

led to the organisation receiving an award in 2006 from the Federal

Government’s Agency for Equal Opportunity for Women in the

Workplace for being the most “Female-Friendly” organisation.

Similar to IBM’s camp (refer to Table 2), detailed in a media

release by AAP MediaNet (2007) is UBS AG Australia Branch’s

“UBS AG Young Women’s Leadership Academy”. UBS AG

Australia Branch works in the finance sector and they provide

young women with the opportunity to attend a four-day residential

course held in conjunction with Women’s College, Sydney

University and the NSW Secondary Schools Association.

Forty female students from public high schools in ACT,

NSW and Victoria are given the chance to explore the possibilities

of a future education and a career in commerce.

As a result of the Academy, a number of students have expressed

interest in studying economics and finance (AAP MediaNet, 2007).

This program encourages more females to study predominantly

male dominated courses, and also provides young females with

adequate knowledge of what to expect if they choose to further

their career in these fields. Furthermore, such a program increases

the organisation’s market brand and image amongst potential

future female applicants.

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

AttRACting AppliCAnts

EmployEr Branding

Simply stated, employer branding is about what a company has

to offer to its employees. Employer branding can be used as a

long term strategy to manage the awareness and perceptions

of employees, potential employees and related stakeholders

with regards to a particular organisation (Arden 2006, 8;

Backhaus and Tikoo 2004, 501). Hence, employer branding

helps to attract and retain high value staff and therefore

contribute to increased business performance and productivity.

Employer branding strategies assist in shaping the perceptions

of an organisation as an employer of choice (Arden 2006, 8).

With increasing mobility within the workforce, decreasing birth

rates, an ageing population and the decreased loyalty of young

workers, employer branding can assist in attracting and retaining

highly skilled and qualified employees. Corporate reputation is

an important factor for overall company success and also for

attracting job seekers; hence the company brand or image plays

a critical role when job seekers are deciding whether or not to

apply for the job (Johnson and Roberts 2006, 38).

“ Employer branding showcases an organisation’s reputation to the community.”

Johnson, M. and P. Roberts. Marketing Health Services.

Spring 2006 26(1): 38-40.

Employer branding is affected by the way a company interacts with

the public, for example through advertising, media articles, website

material and promotional material (Johnson and Roberts 2006, 39).

One example of such public interaction is the Bunnings Warehouse

organisation and their strategy of employer branding. Their slogan

is “Lowest Prices, Widest Range, Best Service” and Bunnings

Warehouse includes their employees in their television advertising.

Portrayed in the advertisements are team members talking about

their place of work and their positive experiences with various

customers. Including employees in television advertisements can

generate excitement amongst the workplace and keep morale high.

Johnson and Roberts (2006, 40) concede that employees

who are a part of a successfully branded company, sell the

working environment, such as great management or flexibility.

Therefore, “word of mouth” can contribute to increasing both

employee loyalty and quality recruitment.

Employer branding is the communication of a company’s brand

positioning within its recruiting and human resources marketplace

(Johnson and Roberts 2006, 38). Its purpose is to drive the talent

agenda and to determine what makes an employer distinct from

its competitors in the labour market (Carrington 2007, 36).

Employer branding has a number of advantages. Please refer to

Figure 1 in relation to the positive outcomes of employer branding.

iBm auStralia – “fEmalE-friEndly” WorkplacE StratEgiES

initiatives achievements & Benefits

• Flexible Hours – options to work from home. • Technology enables women to work and care for children at home.

• Paid Maternity Leave• Financially stable whilst on maternity leave. 97% of women have

returned from maternity leave over the last 10 years.

• Conducts three camps for young women nationally.

Duration: 1 week, primarily about IT industry and what it entails.

• 36% of IBM Australia’s graduate recruits are female,

compared to less than 15% studying IT at university.

• Vacation care program for IBM children• Gives working mothers peace of mind that their children are

being cared for during the school holidays.

• Flexible leave – offers additional four weeks of annual leave,

purchased through salary sacrifice.

• The additional four weeks gives employees the option to take

more leave if required, and contributes to less stress and work

overload within the organisation.

table 2: Summary of IBM Australia’s Female-Friendly Workplace StrategiesSource: IBM lauded as most “female-friendly” workplace. 08/11/2006. World Today, The ABC. (accessed from Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre database 22/1/2008).

9Attracting Applicants

rEWard rEcapemployer branding generates numerous benefits

a competitive edge. Recruiting and retaining top people is

a powerful advocate for improved products and services.

credibility. Strategic and carefully developed PR can create

a strong, viable believability factor for employer branding

messages.

name/brand recognition and trust. The greater the national

awareness, the more ease local markets will have in their

recruitment efforts.

enhanced reputation. Proactive communications and internal

programs can position your organisation as a thought leader

and industry expert.

Quality staff (current and prospective). A thoughtfully planned

strategy increases prospective candidate flow, and energizes

staff so they feel connected to the organisation’s long-term goals.

Profitability. Employee productivity increases, loyalty is

fostered, and retention improves.

figure 1: Employer Branding BenefitsSource: Johnson, M. and P. Roberts. 2006. Rules of Attraction: Recruit and retain the best staff with employer branding. Marketing Health Services. 26(1): 38-40.

Effective external marketing of the employer brand establishes the

organisation as an employer of choice and thereby enables the

organisation to attract the best possible employees (Backhaus and

Tikoo 2004, 503). Effective internal marketing of the employer brand

carries “the promise” made to new recruits and is incorporated

into the organisation’s culture (Backhaus and Tikoo 2004, 503).

Internal marketing develops a workforce that is committed to

the set of values and corporate goals made by the organisation,

thus making the culture both difficult for other organisations to

imitate and unique only to that organisation. A case study provided

by Employer Branding, a company based in Sydney specialising

in employer branding, details successful results of SC Johnson in

regards to effectively using employer branding (Refer to Table 3).

Monitoring the progress of the brand can mean tracking

employee referrals, processed resumes, tendered and

accepted responses, retention rates and job posting hits on

the organisation’s website (Johnson and Roberts 2006, 39).

Overall, successful employee branding is driven by how

organisations wish to create expectation amongst potential job

candidates, communicate values and influence perceptions

amongst all stakeholders. Ultimately, employer branding expresses

what the experience will be like for job seekers on the “inside”.

caSE Study

Sc Johnson (Sydney, australia):

product manufacturer of consumer goods.

In 2000, exit interviews and employee surveys were

showing employee needs in a number of areas were not

being met. The result – low engagement, low retention

rates and increasing employee replacement costs.

Using market research techniques, the five (5) employer

reputation strengths were identified as: leadership;

career development; training; recognition and work/

life blend. These 5 strengths fell under the employer

reputation banner ‘Enjoy the Difference’.

The results were increased retention year on year,

achieving a high of 92% employee retention (95%

voluntary) and significant cost savings in relation to

the cost of replacing people.

Numerous awards have been bestowed on SC Johnson

since 2001:

2001

• National Work and Family Awards

(medium size business)

• 7th position Hewitt Best Employers to Work For

(< 1,000 employees)

2002

• Best Retention Strategy –

Australian Human Resources Awards

• National Work and Family Awards (stunning stayer)

• Employer of Choice for Women recognition

2003

• Best Employer Brand Strategy –

Australian Human Resources Awards

• Leading Organisation for the Advancement of Women

– EOWA Business Achievement Awards for Women

• Employer of Choice for Women recognition

2004

• Employer of Choice for Women recognition

• National Work and Family Awards (high commendation)

table 3: SC Johnson case studySource: www.employerbranding.com.au (accessed January 24th 2008)

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

AttRACting AppliCAnts – tRAining & CAReeR Development initiAtives

today’s job market is predominantly employee-

driven, thus it is essential that organisations

respond to their employees’ needs by defining

clear career paths in conjunction with offering

non-financial benefits like flexible working

conditions. Due to skilled, experienced employees

being scarce in supply and high in demand,

training and career development initiatives, when

used appropriately, can have a positive impact on

attracting and retaining valuable employees.

Career development initiatives give employees the opportunity

to undertake further training and personal development which

in turn improves their knowledge, skills and abilities. Such

initiatives give employees the opportunity to move into other job

roles hence leading to greater productivity (Bright 2007, 7).

Career development is the link between learning and development,

hence effective career development programs can contribute

to a knowledgeable, highly skilled and sustainable workforce.

Similarly, Salopek (2008, 24) describes employee training as the

transference of traditional job-related knowledge and skills and

career development to activities which facilitate movement within

an organisation such as performance management, succession

planning and promotions.

With industry experiencing continual skills shortages,

organisations may take the step in employing less or differently

qualified workers in the areas encountering a skills shortage. This

involves the recruitment of less skilled workers, work reorganisation

and an increase in training, whether internal or purchased from a

training provider (Shah and Burke 2003, 8). The below examples

demonstrate how different industries have redesigned and

redeveloped training and career development initiatives to attract

workers into areas that are facing a skills or labour shortage.

training & dEvElopmEnt agEncy for SchoolS (uk)

The UK has established a facility and web portal for teachers to

access in regards to their training and career development. It is

called the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).

The TDA is an executive, non-departmental public body of the

Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) (refer to

www.tda.gov.uk). The TDA assists in streamlining communications

with schools regarding development and deployment of teachers

within the government education system. TDA is primarily a

one-stop-shop for information in relation to training, qualification

and career development.

According to TDA’s website, recruitment figures state that

39,600 people commenced teacher training in 2006/2007 and

nearly one third of people entering the teaching profession were

above the age of 30. This demonstrates that the information and

facilities provided by the TDA are greatly increasing people’s ability

to easily make the transition to a teaching career. TDA also assists

in the recruitment of teachers; national advertising campaigns

using television, print and radio advertisements based on the

slogan “Use your head. Teach”, have contributed to attracting

applicants to the teaching arena.

Image courtesy of Tourism Queensland

11Attracting Applicants – training & Career Development initiatives

The TDA provides information on pathways to get into teaching,

how to apply for teacher training, training options and information

regarding financial and non-financial benefits. A recent study

conducted by the TDA on 31,000 UK residents, revealed that

one in four 45-50 year olds (23%) are planning a new career in

teaching. Already, the trend for older people to change careers

to teaching is happening in the UK. A media release published

on TDA’s website, states that the number of 45-50 year olds

joining the profession has nearly doubled over the last five years,

from 682 gaining Qualified Teacher Status in 2002, to 1,122 in

2006, due to pay and career progression opportunities improving.

The outcomes of implementing training and career development

initiatives that have been designed and developed by the TDA

have resulted in an improved status and image of teachers and

therefore difficulty in recruiting teachers has been significantly

reduced. In addition, the quality of teacher training has improved

due to the consistency in the delivery of materials. This has

enabled TDA to promote best practice training to all teachers and

has led to an overall improvement of the government’s education

system. This is summarised in TDA’s vision – “To secure an

effective school workforce that improves children’s life chances”.

doorWayS 2 conStruction

A joint initiative between Construction Training Queensland

(CTQ) and the Building and Construction Industry Training

Fund (BCITF) has developed and implemented a training and

development program. The program enables Years 10,

11 and 12 students to gain the required industry and employability

skills to achieve a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship

(www.commerceqld.com.au, 2007). This initiative is called the

Doorways 2 Construction (D2C) program.

The D2C program introduces students to the building and

construction industry and assists them in gaining Certificate I in

Construction as well as achieving the Queensland Certificate of

Education. Students develop a number of skills and gain knowledge

pertaining to the construction industry. A minimum of 160 hours

on-site training is available to students. This work experience

program is advantageous to employers as they do not incur any

insurance or wage costs, and at the same time, employers are

given the opportunity to evaluate the capabilities of students

for possible employment to complete a trade or traineeship.

In addition, the program employs an industry mentor who liaises

with the schools, employers and students. The industry mentor

assists with developing curriculums that help teachers deliver

relevant industry training (www.commerceqld.com.au, 2007).

Due to the labour and skills shortage the construction industry

is facing now and in the future, this program ensures that students

are work ready and that they possess the basic skills required

to meet the job requirements of an apprenticeship or traineeship.

Furthermore, school-based apprenticeship programs reduce

the time the apprentice is on-site by one year and gives students

the opportunity to access a network of industry contacts.

Overall, this program enables students to decide if gaining a

trade or completing a traineeship is what they really want.

Furthermore, school-based apprenticeships and traineeships ensure

that the student’s commitment to completing an apprenticeship

or traineeship is strong at the commencement of the program.

accountSkillS

The accounting profession is currently experiencing a severe

shortage of qualified accountants. As advised by a reputable

recruitment agency, this profession has been encountering a skills

shortage for over ten years. To alleviate the problems of recruiting

qualified accountants, an organisation called “AccountSkills”

has been set up to train “para” accountants (James 2008, 4).

The para-accountant’s role is created on the same basis as

paralegal and paramedical roles. The training program is called the

Para Professional Accounting Technician (PPAT) program and it is

based on the apprenticeship model. Commencing in May 2008,

the program combines work and study over two years.

The trainees will be paid at an hourly rate and they will also receive

up to $15000 towards training for the duration of the program

(James 2008, 4). As published in The Age, Robert Hutt from the

Association of Accounting Technicians, states that “this new

occupational category is evolving in the accounting profession as a

result of a shortage of professional accountants, and will become

an indispensable tier in the accounting services supply chain”.

The above examples of training and career development initiatives

emphasise the importance of developing employee skills.

Such initiatives can contribute towards changing attitudes

within the organisation, and new ideas being communicated

thus resulting in organisations reinventing themselves for the

better (Daniels 2003, 39). Shah and Burke (2003, 35) agree

that organisations who create a training culture within, have a

longer-term perspective on training and therefore will benefit from

increased innovation and profits. In addition, learning new skills

can build effective teams, improve quality standards and meet

corporate objectives, therefore contributing to increased employee

retention and organisations gaining a sustainable competitive

advantage (Daniels 2003, 39).

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

Retention stRAtegies

top 10 rEtEntion-Building haBitS

that corporate leaders should adopt to retain their best staff

1. Show genuine interest and appreciation.

2. Make work meaningful.

3. Ask courageous questions.

4. Grow competencies, situationally.

5. Meet one-on-one, routinely.

6. Make retention everyone’s responsibility.

7. Be a career-builder

8. Help people get an “A”.

9. Manage the meaning of change.

10. Walk your talk.

table 4: Retention StrategiesSource: Salary increases are not the answer to retaining staff, says leadership expert, Ken Blanchard. 2007. Al Bawaba, January 24 2007.

Exit intErviEWS

The so-called “war for talent” has significantly increased the need

for exit interviews. An exit interview is a discussion between a

representative of an organisation and a person whose employment

with that organisation has ended (Giacalone and Duhon 1991, 83).

It is conducted during one of the employee’s last working days.

Primarily used as part of strategic human resource development,

this tool can contribute to reducing an organisation’s voluntary

turnover and improve the quality of the workplace (Giacalone and

Duhon 1991, 83).

Exit interviews can be useful in gathering information from

employees regarding their perceptions, impressions and

experiences of the organisation (Giacalone and Duhon 1991, 84),

although it is questionable if the information gathered is valuable.

Giacalone, Knouse and Montagliani (1997, 438) believe that

exiting employees may offer biased responses because of the

following reasons:

1. No personal benefit gained from changes resulting from

honest responses in the exit interview;

2. An employee may fear repercussions, such as negative

recommendations to prospective employers and

3. The employee believes that the information they provide will

never be used by the organisation to implement changes in

policy, nor create a more efficient workplace.

Conversely, results from a recent survey of 1227 people

conducted by Talent2 in early 2008 revealed that sixty percent

the current skills crisis continues to put

pressure on employers and has resulted

in employers putting significant efforts

into retaining and developing staff. a survey

of 7000 employers conducted in australia

and new Zealand, done by Hudson,

a major recruitment organisation,

revealed that forty four percent of employers

have said that staff development and

retention is their top priority for 2008

(www.humanresourcesmagazine.com.au).

Organisations that endeavour to investigate the reasons

why their employees decide to look for a new job can

assist them in developing and implementing strategies

to retain their talented employees and prevent turnover

(Marley-Wallace 2007, 28). Issues concerning relationships

with immediate supervisors, opportunities for career

development and training, as well as personal and

professional growth can all be reasons associated with

an employee’s intent to stay (Tate 2007, 16).

Marley-Wallace (2007, 28) believes that organisations who

fail to develop retention strategies can potentially encounter:

decreases in productivity, increases in absenteeism,

increases in voluntary employee turnover and a reduction

in the quality and delivery of products and/or services.

Tate (2007, 16) claims that the key to retaining productive

employees is to make their working environment as

conducive as possible for the accomplishment of the

company’s business goals and objectives. A very retention-

focused company successfully uses “employee think

tanks” to brainstorm ideas around corporate matters

(DeMarco 2007, 9). With reference to table 4 (see below),

such retention-building habits can be a starting point for

organisations to develop retention strategies to help build

a loyal and committed workforce.

13Retention strategies

of respondents were happy to give their honest opinion when

leaving an organisation (Mulhall 2008, 8). Offering and maintaining

strict confidentiality to exiting employees is the key to successfully

conducting exit interviews (Kirk 2008, 13). Information received

from the interview should be incorporated into a general report for

management regarding human resources issues (Kirk 2008, 13).

As a result, exiting employees are aware that there are no personal

connections to their feedback obtained from the exit interview,

and there is no potential for adverse repercussions, therefore the

feedback received assists in implementing changes to improving

the performance and productivity of an organisation.

Work-lifE BalancE

Organisations that adopt flexible workplace policies give

employees the opportunity to manage their own time,

therefore giving them the opportunity to make more choices

as to how to combine their work and personal responsibilities

(Marley-Wallace 2007, 29). Adjusting work patterns for everyone,

regardless of caring responsibilities, age, race, gender or disability,

can help employees find a routine that enables them to easily

combine work with other responsibilities and aspirations (Dunne

2007, 29). Effective work-life balance programs are focused on

solving any personal issues that can distract employees from their

work (Szczypkowski 2007, 11). Hence work-life balance (WLB)

programs and initiatives can have many benefits for both the

employer and the employee (refer to Figure 3).

An example of successful WLB initiatives that were implemented

was demonstrated by the Wrexham County Borough Council

(WCBC) in the United Kingdom. In 2000, the UK Government’s

Department of Trade and Industry launched the Work Life Balance

Challenge Fund throughout England and Scotland to assist private

and public sector organisations with funding to develop and

implement WLB initiatives (Dunne 2007, 29). The WCBC employs

more than 6,500 people and its main aims associated with

implementing WLB initiatives were to assist with the following:

• Recruitment of key/professional roles;

• Retention of key groups, eg. social workers;

• Reduction of absenteeism arising from dual demands,

i.e. work pressures versus pressures outside of work

(Dunne 2007, 30).

thE BEnEfitS of Work/lifE BalancE

Business Benefits

• Greater cost-effectiveness and efficiency, such as savings

on overheads when employees work from home or less

downtime for machinery when 24-hour shifts are worked.

• Ability to attract a higher level of skills because the business

is able to attract and retain a skilled and more diverse

workforce. Also, reduced recruitment costs.

• More job satisfaction and better staff morale.

• Greater continuity as staff who might otherwise have left are

offered solutions they can manage. Many employers find that

a better WLB has a positive impact on staff retention and on

employee relations, motivation and commitment.

• Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty as a result of

the above.

• Improved competitiveness – with motivated staff the driving

force behind a company, it will be able to react quicker to

changes in the marketplace.

• Increased staff efficiency through better motivation and

reduced stress and absenteeism through sickness.

• Improved employee relations.

employee Benefits

• More flexibility to fit in with lifestyle demands or needs.

• Increased control over working day.

• Ability to choose hours to suit efficiency –

eg. those able to work more effectively in the morning

can leave earlier in the evening.

• Reduced stress levels.

• Increased motivation and passion for work.

• Opportunity for skilled workers to return to work while

balancing social and domestic needs.

• Empowerment of staff.

figure 2: The Benefits of Work/Life Balance.Source: Hayley Dunne (2007). Putting balance into business. Strategic HR Review, 6(6): 28-31.

Across all departments within the Council, more than fifty projects

were piloted over a period of three years. The following Work-Life

Balance initiatives were implemented:

• Removal of core hours, but with compulsory

self-rostering implemented;

• Extension of the working day to promote staggered

working and extended opening hours;

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

Retention stRAtegies

• Weekend working – as part of the contracted working

week and at no additional cost to the council;

• Purchase of additional leave;

• Compressed week/fortnight working;

• Ad-hoc working from home – target and time specific

and promoted as the exception rather than the norm;

• Increased carry-over of additional hours (over and above

the usual maximum in the flexible hours scheme) capped

at a maximum of 21 hours per four-week period;

• Unlimited swipes (in time recording system) for breaks

to attend medical or other appointments;

• Staggered leave year (for some teams) to avoid the usual

end-of-year problem of too many employees wishing to

use up their annual leave allocation at the same time.

The results showed a significant decrease in staff turnover and

staff absenteeism. The main advantage of the implementation

of the various WLB initiatives considered by employees of the

council were the staggered hours – allowing them time to attend

to demands outside of work (Dunne 2007, 31). The above example

demonstrates that WLB programs which are designed to meet

the unique needs of an organisation’s employee population can

reduce absences and improve retention. By assessing employee

needs and committing to an ongoing evaluation of WLB programs,

an organisation can ensure that WLB programs have a positive

impact on the organisation in terms of reduced absenteeism and

improved productivity and retention (Szczypkowski 2007, 12).

DeMarco (2007, 10) recommends that an organisation’s culture

supports the work-life balance programs they have put into place.

Organisations that are adjusting and changing to the new work-life

balance approach are experiencing employees who are more loyal

and committed to the companies they represent (DeMarco 2007,

10). Therefore, organisational culture is a contributing factor in

determining employee satisfaction, intention to stay and whether

employees recommend their organisation to others as a good

place to work (Marley-Wallace 2007, 29).

Wheeler et al. (2006, 107) agrees that a strong organisational

culture increases an employee’s intent to remain in an organisation.

Depending on the industry, employers should assess which WLB

initiatives would minimise disruption of the workplace due to

demands outside of work and at the same time, aim to use such

initiatives to increase productivity. Below (refer to Table 5) is a

list of other WLB initiatives put in place by various organisations

to increase employee commitment and loyalty, thus increasing

employee retention.

morE pErkS & policiES to rEtain EmployEES

• Dry-cleaning services provided to employees

• Food shopping services

• DVD/Video rental facilities

• Financial planning services

• Insurance discounts – health, home, car and pet policies

• Stress helplines

• Free medical checkups/health screening

• Career breaks/sabbatical leave

• On-site child crèches

• Provision of after school care

table 5: Various WLB InitiativesSource: Anon. 2000. UK firms introduce work/life balance perks to tempt staff. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 21(1/2): 128. 

Image courtesy of Tourism Queensland

15Retention strategies – training & Career Development initiatives

Retention stRAtegies – tRAining & CAReeR Development initiAtives

training and career development can play a

vital role in employee retention. it is becoming

a widespread understanding amongst employers

that employees view a comprehensive career

development plan as an attractive benefit.

training and career development have become

a significant part of the total rewards package.

By formulating clear career goals for each employee,

along with the resources and specific pathways to achieve the

goals, and in conjunction with continuous management support,

organisations can benefit from increased employee loyalty

(Marley-Wallace 2007, 29). A way of formulating specific career

goals and assisting employees with their career development within

an organisation is through career counselling. Career counselling

can be defined as an intervention to help individuals assess their

overall strengths and weaknesses as job candidates in the labour

market (Feldman 2001, 28). The services of a career counsellor can

be used internally or outsourced by an organisation.

carEEr counSElling

In 2002, Deloitte and Touche USA, an accounting and

consulting organisation, set up a career coaching program

called “Deloitte Career Connections”, primarily used for career

counselling. The program helps employees develop their skills

in job areas other than their own and also assists employees to

consider other jobs where their knowledge, skills and experience

can be utilised and could help them with their career progression.

There are thirteen full time career coaches employed by the firm

and since its inception, the coaches have provided one-on-one

counselling to about 3,500 partners and employees (Gordon

2006, 27). The organisation estimates that the program has

retained at least 650 employees since 2002 and believes that

these employees would have left the organisation had there been

no access to a confidential career coach (Gordon 2006, 27).

With a total workforce of 35,000 U.S. employees, Deloitte’s

career coaching program has become an integral part of the

organisation’s culture. The program includes an intranet site (which

attracts approximately 2000 hits per day) dedicated to coaching

skills, e-learning courses, book summaries and other resources

to assist employees with enhancing their skills and improving their

knowledge of the industry they work in (Gordon 2006, 28).

The organisation consists of an array of specialised services within

the financial sector, such as audits, taxes, consulting and financial

advisory services. The program has contributed towards the

organisation’s low turnover and high retention. The organisation

believes that one of the main reasons a person stays with the

organisation is because someone took an interest in their career,

that is, the career coach (Gordon 2006, 29). In addition,

the program demonstrates to their employees that they are

valued and that ongoing mentoring and career development is

as equally important to the organisation as it is to their employees.

Sothern (2002, 37) concedes that career planning programs can

actually increase employee loyalty when they see the organisation

is taking a vested interest in their future. In addition, a definitive

career planning program may be beneficial to the organisation,

as it may identify which employees are most likely to stay for the

long term to fulfil such career goals.

lEarning portalS/E-lEarning

Similar to Deloitte and Touche, the Hilton Hotel has also established

a learning portal accessible to all Hilton employees worldwide.

With over 400 Hilton hotels worldwide in 82 countries, Hilton’s

mission is to lead the way in the hospitality sector, and providing

employees with access to consistent, quality training is critical to

achieving this mission (Balwin-Evans 2006, 36). The learning portal

plays a key role in hotel guests receiving the same high level of

customer service at whichever Hilton hotel they stay at.

The learning portal is called the “Hilton University” and is arranged

into different “faculties” such as operations, finance, business

development, HR, faculty of management skills, faculty of

executive education (aimed at senior managers) and the faculty

of research. All of these faculties provide employees with a

reference library of resources to enhance and improve their

knowledge of the organisation (Baldwin-Evans 2006, 36).

The philosophy behind the Hilton University is to be progressive,

future-oriented and to embrace technology (Baldwin-Evans 2006,

36). It also aims to encourage and support continuous personal

and professional development whilst at the same time offering

consistent approach to training. In areas such as communication

and customer service, e-learning has been a cost-effective way

to deliver training and improve the generic skills of Hilton’s

workforce (Baldwin-Evans 2006, 36).

Furthermore, Hilton’s portal provides employees with on-line

coaching, mentoring and virtual classroom environments which

enables geographically dispersed employees to learn together,

share ideas and discuss best practice with colleagues in other

countries (Baldwin-Evans 2006, 36). In 2005, Hilton surveyed

almost 2000 employees to gain information on their employees’

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

perceptions of the Hilton University (Baldwin-Evans 2006, 37).

Almost three quarters of the respondents were of the opinion

that learning opportunities specific to their needs could be

easily located and accessed (Baldwin-Evans 2006, 37).

Ninety-five percent of respondents appreciated the opportunity

to develop their knowledge. Thirty-five percent of respondents

said that being offered developmental opportunities was

“the most important” factor for them when deciding to continue

their career with Hilton (Baldwin-Evans 2006, 38).

Since a learning culture within an organisation can bring about

positive results in regards to productivity and employee retention,

some businesses go as far as tying pay rises and bonuses to

achieving learning milestones. Such milestones include

completion of certain coursework or receiving new certification.

This demonstrates that the organisation values employees’ efforts

to enhance their knowledge and skills (Messmer 2006, 14).

Conversely, Glen (2006, 44) believes that some employees

forego seeking formal educational training and development

opportunities. Rather, skilled, high-potential people (those likely

to comprise the core of organisation talent) will increasingly

seek experienced-based career leverage opportunities to

rapidly develop their careers and to enhance their personal

marketability. Such career leverage opportunities include split

roles, lateral moves, participation in key organisational projects

and secondments (Glen 2006, 44).

Organisations that offer continuous learning tend to retain

employees (Sothern 2002, 37). Thus, a learning culture within an

organisation will have a positive impact on productivity because

employees are not only improving on existing skills, they are

developing new skills and therefore turnover is minimised (Sothern

2002, 37), especially if specialised skills unique to the organisation

are the main focus of training and career development initiatives.

mEntoring

Mentoring can be another way to promote a continuous learning

culture. Pettit (2004, 20) believes that mentoring can improve

communication between departments and, most importantly,

staff retention. Typically, mentoring programs are offered to

graduates, trainees and executives and involve the mentor being

a senior member of the organisation. Whilst most mentoring

programs utilise senior members of the organisation to act as

a mentor, external mentoring may also have a positive impact

on staff retention. External mentoring involves linking someone

from the organisation to someone from a community project or

school (Pettit 2004, 20).

The fifth largest UK energy provider, EDF Energy, has 11,300

staff and twenty percent of employees are involved with a

community investment program (Pettit 2004, 20). A spokesperson

from EDF states that such community involvement helps with

team-building, management skills and bonding amongst different

departments across the organisation. An example of this is EDF’s

IT Environment Manager, whose mentor is the head-teacher from

a nearby high school. Although these two roles are distinctly

different, the advice provided by the teacher in relation

to structuring and holding meetings, drawing upon action points

from meetings, as well as advice on areas such as risk management,

has been beneficial for the IT Environment Manager (Pettit 2004,

20). The IT Environment Manager concedes such a program,

which involves external mentors, has broadened his knowledge

and allowed him to increase his people skills (Pettit 2004, 21).

Moreover, there is a general consensus amongst employees at

EDF Energy that involvement with the community has contributed

to improving the culture of the organisation (Pettit 2004, 21).

The external mentoring program benefits the mentee in terms of

the soft skills, such as coaching and listening. The program is

not theory-based and the skills gained are easily translated back

into the workplace (Pettit 2004, 21). It is important that people are

prepared for mentoring programs, so that the mentor and mentee

are provided with proper training and they know what they will get

out of the mentoring program, how it should work and how it is

supported by the HR Department and the organisation as a whole.

Wheeler et al. (2006, 109) agrees that a well-structured mentoring

program can be used to establish consistent and unambiguous

work values and norms.

EmployEE EngagEmEnt vS. EmployEE involvEmEnt

Engaged employees ’buy into’ the direction of the business,

feel positive and motivated, but won’t do anything differently,

states Jeremy Starling (2007, 7), Managing Director of INVOLVE,

an employee relations organisation which helps senior

management get employees committed to the company they

work for. However, involved employees are active in the business,

partake in change and ‘own’ initiatives (Starling 2007, 7).

“ Engagement is passive, involvement is active”.

Starling, J. Strategic Communication Management,

Dec 2007 12(1):7

17Retention strategies – training & Career Development initiatives

Retention stRAtegies – tRAining & CAReeR Development initiAtives

from all employees, supporting the notion that employee

involvement brings about benefits such as lower turnover and

increased productivity, thus having a positive impact on the

organisation’s bottom line.

program at a glancE

industry: Health Care

company: Grady Memorial Hospital

Program type: Employee recognition

objective: Create a work environment to improve the patient

experience, reduce turnover and project a positive image to

the local community.

Strategy and execution: Under an umbrella effort called

Care Always, the hospital formed three employee teams

– patient satisfaction and measurement, standards of

performance, and rewards and recognition – to improve

both the patient and worked experiences.

results: In three years, Grady’s turnover was reduced from

25% to 15%.

table 6: The “Care Always” program – The Grady Memorial Hospital, Oklahoma, USA. Source: Rauch, M. 2005. Power to the People. Incentive. March 1, 20-21

HSBC, a New York-based bank in the USA implemented a

“Great Ideas” program. The program rewards workers who

make efficiency and cost-improvement suggestions (Earle 2003,

16). In 2002, more than 1500 employees submitted more than

2200 suggestions, and in return, employees whose ideas were

implemented received generous cash, stock and merchandise

prizes (Earle 2003, 16). In the same year, HSBC adopted more

than 120 ideas resulting in a value to the company of nearly

$3million (Earle 2003, 16). Engaging employees in important

decision making can contribute to higher retention, especially

if employees are recognised for their effort. The culture of

involvement should be a two-way dialogue and a genuine

response to employee ideas is a significant key to employee

engagement and boosting morale amongst employees.

The Grady Memorial Hospital located in Oklahoma, USA

empowers three teams of workers selected from various

departments to maintain a motivating work environment.

The program called “Care Always” implemented in 2001

(refer to Table 6), was created to put more emphasis on employee

retention and work towards creating a better working environment.

The group is responsible for providing solutions for workplace

motivation and incentives (Rauch 2005, 20). If initiatives are

employee generated, there is a possibility for better buy-in

Image courtesy of Tourism Queensland

Attract, Develop and Retain: Initiatives to Sustain a Competitive Workforce

ConClusion

Furthermore, promoting a positive work environment by

implementing effective mentoring schemes can lead to establishing

unambiguous work values and norms. Clear, achievable outcomes

formed from the mentoring scheme can assist employees in

understanding the environment in which they work, and what is

expected of them. External mentoring can be used to positively

enhance the culture of the organisation as well as to create a

continuous learning environment.

Encouraging employees to develop their own initiatives and

actively partake in implementing positive change within their

role can lead to employees feeling more positive and motivated

towards their job. Employee involvement builds morale, and

therefore can attract and retain talented workers.

Overall, providing employees with a positive work environment

and sufficient resources that are conducive to achieving

goals can increase employee loyalty. Strong employee loyalty

and commitment can significantly improve an organisation’s

competitive advantage and therefore contribute to an

organisation’s long term sustainability.

today, industry is facing an employee-driven

market, therefore it is up to the organisation to

design, develop and implement strategies that

will produce positive outcomes in attracting and

recruiting employees. the emphasis is on how

unique these strategies can be in order to attract

and retain talented employees. the initiatives

presented in this paper are designed to provide

readers with ideas that they can take and align

to their own organisation.

Utilising technology to support such strategies can have

the ability to enhance and strengthen one’s workforce,

whether it be attracting applicants through job advertisements,

or using an intranet to train and develop existing employees.

Involving employees in the decision-making process,

promoting a learning culture and implementing various work-

life balances can all be effective strategies to retain employees,

although such strategies must be aligned to the organisation’s

strategic corporate plan in order for them to be successful.

Image courtesy of Tourism Queensland

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