Whilst many more people are branching out on their own; the majority continue to work for someone else. And that puts the responsibility for employee retention squarely on the employer’s shoulders. And as the business grows, it’s easy to lose sight of what the company is trying to achieve.

This is where a company’s values come into play. It’s important that they are clearly communicated; throughout an employee’s lifetime with the organisation. And that starts during the recruitment process. Candidates need to be clear about what they are buying into so that they walk through your door with eyes wide open.

A lot of frustration in the workplace is caused by managers trampling on employee’s values – often unintentionally. Since we all hold ‘hidden’ hierarchies of values you may not recognise what has happened to leave you feeling disenfranchised.

Employee retention starts with clarity in recruitment

So, it’s in the interest of both employer and employee to ensure a good fit at the outset. And that means being clear about what you stand for as an organisation. Why does the business exist? And what values do you need employees to espouse in support of that premise?

Back up the interview with some personality profiling as added security. It’s easy for interviewees to tell you what you want to hear; and not so easy to fool a psychometric test (so long as you use a reliable one).

In addition, it’s good to know, as an individual, what’s important to you in the workplace. Identify those things you can’t live without. And then make sure your future employer can offer them.

Now, if you have a lengthy list of requirements for a fulfilling career, you may need to prioritise. Since the chances of one employer being able to tick all of your boxes are slim. Nevertheless, if they can comfortably match your top three values, you’ll likely have a good experience working there.

Selective recruitment is the first step in an effective employee retention strategy. Then having identified and hired key talent, the job is really on if you want to secure a healthy financial return on investment.