By Jay-Ann Fordy

In an increasingly competitive market for talent, the ways in which we find new employees and engage them in the on-boarding process is becoming recognized as a critical component of business strategy.

Perhaps we should be thinking of retention as a keystone of our recruitment process.

If we can get it right at the beginning of the employee lifecycle, we have a better chance of securing their loyalty and commitment.  By clearly communicating who we are, making better use of the on-boarding process and collaboratively defining a new employee’s contribution in our bigger picture, would we not enable them to both come up to performance speed more quickly and remain engaged?

In keeping with the “Complexity Made Simple” theme of this year’s 49th Annual BC HRMA Conference on April 14-15, 2011, the answer is yes.  The key to retention is to build the right employee experience right at the get go when the potential employee meets with your company.

Still, for all the tools and technologies available, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the how of it all.  According to generational technology author Don Tapscott, who spoke at BC HRMA’s conference two years ago, that’s simply because we’re yet to all the necessary players on our team.

The rising stars within this Facebook generation start developing their “leadership brand” at age 13.  They are also poised to change everything we know about the way the working world works.

They been raised in an environment of connectedness that still vexes many a Gen Xer and leaves the best of the Boomers nearly breathless.  They are consciously interacting with the working world well before they ever go work. Needless to say, they also represent the smartest demographic on the market.

When Daniel Pink spoke at last year’s BC HRMA Conference on his book “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”, he talked a lot about making sure you attract people with purpose, give them autonomy and provide them with the ability to pursue mastery in their careers.

What then are we doing to help our employees develop their “brand”? Does the job you are offering and the culture you represent look good on their Facebook page?  Do your causes, sponsors and community interests reflect who they are? Who are they going to connect with along the way? What will the job you are offering today help make them tomorrow?

To find and keep our leaders, both future and present, we need to be able to answer those questions and see how the answers apply to all four generations in the workplace.

Complexity Made Simple?  Asking new questions is the simplest way I know of answering old ones. I look forward to seeing you at the 49th Annual BC HRMA Conference on April 14-15, 2011 for exactly that reason.

Jay-Ann Fordy, CHRP
President, BC HRMA
president@bchrma.org

(PeopleTalk: Spring 2011)