By Steve Leslie

Employee retention is important for a successful business.
In the heat of the summer, when customers are at their most demanding, and headaches from certain projects arise, having an employee leave the company can be more than devastating. It is no wonder that one of the most common questions heard amongst different companies in the aquatics industry is, “How do you prevent turnover?”
Although this seems to be the most logical question to ask, turnover may not actually be the problem. According to a 2017 study conducted by LinkedIn, 57 per cent of recruiters believe the top challenge employers face is the competition for talent in the marketplace. Turnover is listed last with 23 per cent of the votes. This is why the author believes companies need to shift their question to become, “How do I find and attract great people to the company?” This is the main focus of this article, because if companies can answer this question, turnover rates will decrease by default.
One of the key ingredients for approaching this task relies on throwing out the old ways of thinking when it comes to hiring. It is time to grasp a new, modern recruitment process which focuses on knowing what the company wants; understanding what candidates and employees are looking for; and knowing how to make the company appealing for top talent to thrive.
Some businesses might already have a system in place that has helped build the company and establish a low turnover rate. In this case, keep reading, and be sure to write an article to challenge this information.
Knowing what the company wants
Who does the company want to hire? What qualities do they need? How does one determine an ambitious person? What skills do these people need to have (including those that cannot be listed on a resumé)? For instance, does a person have a large network? Are they influential amongst that group of people? What better way to increase revenue than hiring someone with a large network of potential customers? These are all questions one needs to ask themselves before anything else.
How should candidates showcase this information? Some companies might want to consider having candidates submit a 30-second video to showcase their talents, while others may want to test their problem-solving skills by giving them a scenario to see how quickly (and correctly) they can respond. Another consideration is who does one know that fits their company’s desired traits? Even if those in mind are not interested, chances are they know others who share these same qualities.
What is a common trait amongst the worst employees one has had and how can these characteristics be screened? All of this is crucial information to know before beginning to search for new candidates. Further, this list will also help to determine if the people currently within an organization are actually a good fit.
When looking to hire a new employee one should take the time to sit down and write down a list of qualities they are looking for, as well as establish a list of qualities that will turn one off from hiring someone. The more in depth one can make their list, the clearer the ideal person (or people) will become.