by: Michelle Fish | CEO
As the labor market tightens, competition for top performers will continue to become more intense. While it’s common for companies to focus on pay and benefits to find and keep its best employees, I suggest there is another, more effective method – becoming an Employer of Choice. What’s an Employer of Choice? Quite simply, it’s a company that people WANT to work for! By building a company where people want to work, you hold a critical advantage over your competition – your human assets.
Integra Staffing is proud to be an Employer of Choice. In fact we were recently recognized as #1 Small Business Best Place to Work in Charlotte! How did we do it? I’ll share some of my top tips…
Promote from Within
The average employee will change jobs 7 to 8 times throughout their career. Why not let them change jobs within the same company? Internal candidates have a much higher success rate in their new jobs versus external candidates. They already know the corporate culture and have proved they can perform well within it. The key is to clearly define internal career ladders and performance metrics for advancement. This gives the employee a realistic expectation of future opportunities and signals that high performers are valued and will be rewarded accordingly.
Ownership within the Company
When employees feel like they have a personal stake within the company, they are more apt to perform at a higher level. Ownership doesn’t necessarily have to be tied to stock options and bonuses; it can be conveyed through more simple practices. One example is weekly or quarterly meetings. At Integra we meet every Monday as team and each person shares an accomplishment from the week. It’s a way to keep everyone on the same page and feel like they are an integral part of the company’s successes.
Education & Training Opportunities
Companies who invest in mentoring programs, cross-training opportunities, and tuition reimbursement are signaling a commitment to the growth and development of their employees. Employees with advanced education can offer more training, ideas, and skills to their employers, thus adding to the competitive advantage of the company. Employees who reach their personal goals are not only happier employees, but also exhibit greater work performance.
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