I know I am not alone when I say that one of the biggest business challenges we face is finding and retaining good employees. Employees are the backbone of any business, and their success can make or break your company's success potential for achievement. I wanted to share a few things we do, in the hopes of opening a dialogue with others on how they face this challenge.
We believe that attracting good employees starts very early on in the recruiting process. Our HR team does an excellent job of explaining our company's mission, vision, and values, and treating candidates respectfully during the entire hiring cycle. We have multiple culture videos on our website and encourage potential employees to visit our HQ and meet team members to help them determine if we are a good ‘match’. The process is certainly not one-sided! We want to hire kind people that are truly excited to be a part of our team.
We understand fully that our job isn’t over when we receive an accepted offer. If someone chooses to work at Projetech, it is important that we do our part to keep them engaged and make them feel heard and appreciated. We spend a lot of time planning activities and celebrations to build in breaks, acknowledge accomplishments, and promote camaraderie. This is especially challenging, as what is ‘fun’ to one person may be is the opposite of that for another. We occasionally swing and miss, but we don’t use that as an excuse to stop trying. No one is ever required to participate in anything, but our goal is to offer options that are diverse, and we always welcome suggestions.
We also do our best to encourage open communication across all levels and departments. All new hires (including co-ops) have one-on-one meetings with representatives from every team to learn how their contributions impactor are impacted by others. When I get my opportunity to meet with each person, I let them know that we hire smart people because we want to hear from them. I encourage them to grab a slot on my calendar, or just stop by my cube at any time they want to catch up or share ideas. I’ve been at Projetech a long time, so I NEED to hear fresh perspectives. It is the reason that I choose not to have an office with a door, away from my co-workers. Yes, I am directly in the line of fire when occasional nerf gun battles break out. 😊
Because there is always room for improvement, we have regular, recurring meetings to brainstorm ways to increase employee engagement. While activities are a big part of this, we understand that we also need to stay competitive with pay and benefits, and provide professional growth opportunities for employees, so we pay close attention to those areas. An occasional free lunch and a ping pong table are nice, but certainly not enough to retain good people! We also put effort into providing flexibility in schedule and work from home options when possible because we know employees are happiest when they have a healthy work/life balance. When someone does choose to leave Projetech, we invite honest feedback on whether we could have done something better or /different.
Obviously, we are not perfect. However, we’ve been blessed with very low employee turnover, and were even a finalist for the ‘Best Places to Work in Cincinnati’ award a couple of years ago, so I’m hoping those are signs that our employees recognize our efforts and feel appreciated. I’d love to hear from other organizations on what they do to prioritize their employees and keep them motivated and engaged!
