How to Find & Retain Top Quality Employees

Did you know that 22% of staff turnover occurs in the first forty-five days of employment?

Retaining good employees is a top concern for small business owners. Not only does it often take significant time to train new hires, but long-term employees are more likely to feel invested in the company and to treat customers with the advanced service that comes with knowing a company and its products inside and out.

Today we’re going to share a few ways you can locate top quality employees and also how you can retain them for years to come.

Tips for Finding High Quality Employees

How to hire top quality employees

1. Consider Skill Sets Over Direct Experience

When it comes to hiring for customer service positions you may be apt to toss any resumes where the candidate doesn’t have direct experience working in a restaurant, retail shop or other service-oriented position.

For example, you might think that hiring a former teacher for a hostess position would be less than ideal. However, if you consider the skill set that a teacher must possess – ability to multitask, adept at working under time constraints, exceptional managerial skills, ability to work with difficult individuals – you may find that a former teacher would be a great fit with the right training!

We recommend reviewing a job candidates skill set over their direct experience in many cases.

2. Hire a Rookie and Give Proper Training 

Working with someone who has never held a job before can feel burdensome. After all, he or she will need to learn every task from scratch. That doesn’t mean a first-timer cannot make for a great employee though. Consider that a rookie will not have poor habits learned at prior jobs, will often work for less money and will likely be eager to learn and please.

To ensure a smooth transition into the workforce, have your best veteran employee show the rookie the ropes. This will help your new hire learn how to do things the right way, and will likely please your veteran as it shows you have trust in him or her.

3. Consider Hiring From the Military 

Not surprisingly, the military can yield the highest quality employees. Discipline and respect have been hammered into them since day one in boot camp. They can work within high-pressure situations and take orders well.

How to Retain Your Best Employees

retain your best employees

Once you hire star employees it’s your job as the business owner to retain them.

Human resource experts tend to agree that the following tips will help with employee retention:

  • Provide a training program for new employees so they don’t feel overwhelmed or confused
  • Give employees opportunities to learn new aspects of the job or business
  • Provide job advancement opportunities when possible
  • Try to be flexible with schedules and offer vacation time
  • Encourage teamwork and team building activities for your staff
  • Create a culture that your employees enjoy so they don’t dread coming into work

We also recommend checking in daily with your new hires and asking them how they feel and if there is anything you can do to help.

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