Improve retention with persistent consistency
As we continue to talk about hiring and keeping a productive and performance-driven team, we must include “Consistency” in our “5 C’s for Retaining Top Talent.” This is the fourth column in a five-part series, and we will conclude next week with “Culture,” and how to develop that winning culture where people are not only eager to join us but will also want to stay with us.
And thank you all for the email messages, your feedback is always appreciated. Many of you have mentioned a few other “C’s” that should have been included, and yes, I could have easily made this a 10-part series by adding communication, creativity, cross-training, compelling, caring, compensation, and many others that many of you had suggested. All great words for sure, and I will do my best to incorporate them in a future column.
When I settled on the 5 C’s, consistency was important because when we reviewed data and survey results for the reasons people were leaving their position, a “lack of consistency” was cited as one of the challenges they faced. When I asked for some more detail about that lack of consistency, there were a few areas worth mentioning to help us as business owners and leaders to avoid the same mistakes associated with inconsistencies.
The biggest area of concern was around the lack of consistency in what is said, written on the walls, and published on the company website when it comes to mission, vision, purpose and values. Many exiting employees felt like these words were nothing more than a sales pitch to attract people, appease current employees, and create a public image that sounds good. Sadly, they reported that what was publicly stated was often not lived out by senior leadership, management or ownership of the company…