How Recognition Helps in the Start-of-Year Recruitment/Retention Race

You need to hire people as well as have to make sure current employees stay, and the following are some tips on how to better do just that at the start of the year

January, and by default February and March due to how long hiring can sometimes take, is a popular time for employees to look for new jobs.

This is often due to many having ended their tenures with other companies the past December, and most are now looking for new opportunities in the new year. Those still employed, on the other hand, are also considering their options for the next twelve months, and are particularly looking to take the next step amidst the looming influx of fresh graduates in the months that will follow.

With that said, many employers have to deal with the challenge of both retaining current employees and filling the roles which were vacated at the end of last year (or add to the team if the company has expansion plans for the current year.) Often, one becomes more focused on than the other, eventually leaving voids that have to be addressed even in the months that follow.

Given, it’s almost the end of January, some of your people may have already sent applications to other companies, and surely, those who you are trying to recruit to be new employees are applying everywhere. As opposed to waiting on the chips to fall in place, however, there is another way to add on top of what you are already doing to better ensure that your company stands out from the others– not only for recruitment or retention of employees in January and February but– all year round.

First, don’t spend your way out of your recruitment/retention problems

While salary is a– if not THE– major consideration for most professionals as they pick their jobs, it certainly isn’t everything.

When the cost of any other aspect of a business’s operations continues to rise yet still yields the relatively same results, it stands to reason to not increase spending on it, but rather look at the root of the problem and make adjustments moving forward.

The same can be said of retaining and attracting talent. Rather than increasing salaries to merely make them feel good about working in the company (and not reward them for the skills they and work they do), yet more or less get the same performance or output, maybe shift the focus on the workplace or company culture.

This is when giving employees a little more recognition comes in. While making them feel valued and appreciated may seem a little whimsical, it is will prove to be an important component when creating a company culture they’ll want to join or stay for.

Constant and consistent acknowledgment is key

Acknowledging employees’ continued contributions is fundamental in making them feel appreciated and subsequently retaining their services. This is because the recognition, particularly when supported by purpose and values, helps employees when it comes to how they view themselves in the workplace.

They become increasingly aware of the value they bring, not only in the work they do but also to the people they work with and work for. In addition to feelings of validation and community, recognition gives employees an added sense of security, making them feel less of a commodity being used by a company, and more of a key contributor towards its overall goals.

In this digital age where people can easily share their accomplishments, having employees post and discuss the acknowledgment they get from their employers also effectively assists in establishing good employer branding. Potential hires get a better idea of your company as one that values its people and their contributions, all from the current employees themselves.

Why recognition is good for retention and recruitment

When included in your overall company culture, consistent employee recognition can be substantial in your overall retention and recruitment efforts for a number of reasons:

It validates their work

Acknowledging employees’ extraordinary efforts is vital in making sure they know they work for a company that notices– and appreciates– when they do well or go above and beyond in their jobs. For one, celebrating positive actions makes them worth repeating for present employees, and makes it more attractive for job candidates to also do the same for you.

Connects employees with each other

Recognition also helps give employees a clear view of how their work affects their peers and basically confirms how valuable they are to each other. This results in a sense of investment in the team, which often has members reconsidering if they truly want to leave.

It highlights your values

Employees want to be in– and job seekers want to join– workplaces with high standards but also exemplify their personal values. Crediting employees with how they uphold their and your values while keeping to high professional standards puts your company culture front and center, where current employees and potential hires see how you take your values seriously, which helps motivate them in embodying this at work.

It shows how personal achievement/advancement is a company goal

No one works in a vacuum, and as each employee’s individual work is part of your company’s overall goals, it is worth recognizing how what they do contributes to the group’s overall success. This allows them to continue to strive for personal development, while at the same time avoids making them disenfranchised and find it easier to leave the company, as they’ll also be invested in having what they do contribute to a greater overall goal.

A culture which includes recognition is simply worth joining or staying for

Having employees consider their career options outside your company– which current job seekers are surely also doing– simply cannot be avoided. This is especially true at a time when they are looking back at a year that had just concluded, and are faced with deciding what to do for the current year.

What you have more influence over, however, is how people view the work done in your company, how its leadership is, and how employees are treated. Practicing giving due recognition is significant in establishing a culture and building a reputation that your best employees will not want to leave, and the best job seekers out there will consider joining.

Kalibrr is a technology company that aims to transform how candidates find jobs and how companies hire talent. Placing the candidate experience at the center of everything it does, the company continues to attract the best talent from all over, with almost three million professionals and counting. Kalibrr ultimately connects these talents to companies in search of their next generation of leaders.

The only end-to-end recruitment solutions provider in Southeast Asia, Kalibrr is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, with offices in San Francisco, California, and Jakarta, Indonesia. Established in 2012, it has served over 19,000 clients and is backed by some of the world’s most powerful start-up incubators and venture capitalists. These include Y Combinator, Omidyar Network, Patamar Capital, Wavemaker Partners, and Kickstart Ventures.

Need help with recruitment? Sign up for Kalibrr and start hiring better today! For more business and recruiter advice, follow Kalibrr on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.