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5 Steps to Finding and Keeping Good Employees

T By: Betsi Bixby, Meridian Associates Inc.

urnover is an enormous cash flow drain.

Next, compare the results of the two data-
bases. Are there patterns? Are there clear differences
Unfortunately, too many companies think of
turnover as a necessary evil you must live with.
between the two databases? Pinpoint the areas of
Nothing could be further from the truth. You
can reduce turnover with an immediate positive impact clear-cut dichotomies. For instance, you may find
your stars are predominantly retirees and your quitters
on cash flow and your bottom line. were predominantly teens.
Here’s how: Start hiring people who will want What this data is telling you is that in your
to stay with you. Continually treat them right so they existing corporate culture, you have a better chance of
will stay, day after day, month after month, year after keeping a retiree and therefore, should be recruiting
year. Here’s what it takes to get this done: more retirees. With this new knowledge, you might try
Identify the profile of your best, most-se- a special in-house employee referral program where
nior employees at their time of hire. We’ll call these eligibility requires a certain length of service. This ser-
people star employees. What you’ll need is data from vice requirement would automatically result in refer-
the original application of each star employee. Using a rals of friends from your stars! Or you might advertise
spreadsheet format, record all the data you can from in your senior paper, and cancel your college campus
each star employee’s application. Typical categories want-ads. Your objective at this stage is to increase
are education level, length of working career, number your applicant pool with more people that fit your star
of prior jobs, marital status, type of prior job, average profile. If more of the right people apply, there is less
length of time on each prior job, how they learned pressure to hire the ones you now know statistically
about the opening, etc. The more data you can glean will have little chance of staying on the job.
from your applications, the better. Make the application process easy for your
Next, make a similar database, this time using target group. Once we know exactly who we want to
application data from employees who quit, or were ter- apply, we need to make the process easy for them.
minated. Start with the ones who exited most recently For instance, if it’s retirees we are seeking, we don’t
and work backwards until you reach the exact same want a fine-print application — we need one with
number of people in your star database. larger print that is easily read. This is just one example.

16 Alabama Propane Gas Association | January / February 2024