Hired for Life!

Between recruiting, training, salary and benefits, hiring a new employee isn’t cheap.

Maybe that’s why 56 percent of owners plan to maintain the same number of employees this year, according to Insperity.

You might feel pretty good about the job candidate you interviewed this week, but how can you determine if he or she is in it for the long haul?

It’s all about passion, being inspired and feeling appreciated, says former president of the National Association of Women Business Owners Marcia Wieder.

“People join companies because they’re excited about the products, services or leaders,” says Wieder, “but people stay when they see how they can bring their unique gifts to the organization’s vision.”

When it comes to finding workers who will stick around, Wieder suggests asking open-ended questions that allow the candidate to discuss how they’ve dealt with failures and setbacks.

This helps you gauge how they creatively approach problem solving or creating opportunities with little or no resources.

Plus, “it’s imperative to know what people’s dreams are,” says Wieder. She recommends finding out if they’re using their paycheck to save for vacation or buy a home. “People feel cared about when we know their [purpose].”

Wieder adds it’s important to create an environment that allows for creativity, risk-taking and bringing passion to work.

Contemporary Staffing Solutions shares what employees really want – like rewards-based recognition and reimbursement for continuing education. Gigaom offers ways to keep employees motivated, like weekly one-on-ones and evenly distributing grunt work.

Bonus PINK Link: Looking to better engage female employees? Here’s how.

and tell us how you keep employees around.

By Farren Davis

“Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing.”
Mary D. Poole