This is an interesting finding from the new SHRM/Globoforce Employee Recognition Survey Winter 2012 Report, especially since you would think HR is worried about other things, such as finding great talent and retaining good employees. However, all that is tied together, as having employee recognition programs tied with company values makes a huge difference in recruitment and retention. Incorporating all of this with company culture (employee recognition seems like a component of company culture, after all) improves employee engagement and talent management as a whole.
Speaking of employee engagement, training, and recognition, how exactly do you do that? Is it a one-size-fits-all approach? That approach might not be working, because those things need to provide what each individual employee needs to be productive. Figure out the strengths and weaknesses of each person, and tailor training accordingly. Giving someone who is good at technology more technology training could be a waste of time and money, while burning out that employee because technology training doesn't come across as advancement or professional development.
Research shows that companies can lose as many as 15 percent of new hires in the period between offer acceptance and their start date. The reason could be an appealing counteroffer, or concerns that haven't been addressed, or even trepidation about the career change. The point is, before you start onboarding and risking losing a really good candidate, to take the time to notice if the candidate is dilly-dallying about starting, turning in the paperwork, or giving a definitive answer. Don't rush these candidates! Instead, figure out what's going on and be forward about it. It's better to lose them before the offer acceptance than afterward.
The biggest overall challenge in diversity hiring and recruiting is support and commitment throughout the company, not just in HR or the executives or in the company mission. Support isn't just wanting diversity, and encouraging diverse hires, it's also about making these people feel welcome and part of company culture. Diversity doesn't mean anything if these employees face workplace exclusion and discrimination from their coworkers. Successful and ongoing diversity hiring also involves having a plan and having that plan on paper.
Not only are 39 percent of hiring managers using social media to research candidates, these tools are actually leading toward interviews and hires. For example, the 7-second recruitment video using Twitter's Vine as a way to showcase company culture is one of these social media recruiting trends that's much more than candidate research. when Enterasys was recently hiring for a social media position, the wireless network provider announced it would only consider candidates via Twitter, opting to look at their Klout scores and Twitter followings instead. In this case, only the social media presence was considered when hiring someone for the position.
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