I am overwhelmed

Dear Caroline,

I head the talent acquisition unit within my organisation. In the last year, the business pivoted in response to changes in the market. As a result, we have been recruiting for new roles and getting very good people from the market. I have also noted that we have “lost” several talented and experienced staff in the same period. It feels like a revolving door, bringing new talent and losing good and grounded talent. I am under pressure to deliver and address both situations. Frankly, I am overwhelmed. How do I manage this situation?   

Mathew

Hello Mathew, this is the forever non-ending balancing act that all HR professionals and businesses must manage, and it is not easy. Several new people trends have come front and centre that requires organisations to re-focus on where they invest their time and finances. The first is that you must look after the talent that you have. Experienced team members have had time to reflect on their purpose, value, and personal vision. We can blame this on Covid-19 because many finally had the time to think and reflect. This has generally been coined as “doing me”. It is essential that you first look after your talent; it has cost you time, effort and money to get it to this level, and it would be dangerous to assume that it can be “easily replaced”, but it cannot. This means working with your managers to ensure that your talented members are enjoying and getting fulfilment from their current work experience and that, as an organisation, you are doing everything physically, emotionally/ psychologically, and financially possible to retain them. And yes, providing a good emotional/psychological working environment is equally important. Once you have checked in and ensured your talent is looked after, we can look at the new entrants and how we make sure that once they come, they stay with us.

The mindset of the people leaving your organisation is the same as those looking for opportunities and experiences elsewhere. To strike a balance and ensure you are not in a vicious circle, ensure your sourcing and assessment processes are watertight. Ensure that the job you have advertised is the real deal and that the role does not suddenly change with a new entrant. Ensure you have selected the right person who fits not only with the technical aspects of the role but also the behavioural and critically they speak the same values as the organisation. The other important factor is to ensure your onboarding process is comprehensive and all-inclusive. Provide all the tools of the trade. People may sometimes join for the money, but they also join for the experience; talent will stay if they have a good experience, feel valued and are respected.  Good luck

Caroline Mboijana,

Managing Director, The Leadership Team (U) [email protected]