How to focus on internal retention in these fast times

It’s a commonly thought that today’s employees are less loyal then, let’s say, twenty years ago. But is that really true? Of course, with the new types of tech-related jobs  more changes are possible as these roles are constantly progressing. There is a growing group of people in today’s workforce that have a degree in something completely different than what they’re working in. Usually it is linked to their  personal interest,  let’s say a food blogger often does not have a degree in the culinary field but may have a journalism background. This person was able to create job that incorporated both a skill and an interest.

One step up or slide to the side

But how can you have people do what they are passionate about within the company’s organisational chart? A misconception is that when employees express that they want to progress, it is thought that they want to go higher up within the organisation. The current generation that has been part of the workforce since a couple of years, the Gen-X or millennials, usually prefer to become more of a specialist and dive deeper into their expertise. They get job satisfaction not by managing others but by managing their own work and honing their skills. And that’s so important for your internal retention. Because keeping your employees working for your company can be done by simply keeping them happy and by utilising their talents.

Talent management

When conducting interviews for jobs, companies should ask more about people’s interests and passions. This way, you get to know the person better but also focus more on talent than on the job specifications. A CV will often show that people will have the skillset to do the job at hand, and come on, that’s why they’re invited for an interview. It comes down to asking the right questions, getting to know a person whether he or she will fit the company and the company fits their expectations. If a company makes clear that in certain roles there is no step up but is willing to invest in talent, than this could be an ideal company for ambitious, talent-driven young professionals.

Everybody happy?

When a company experiences many changes within their organisation, HR and management should definitely talk. What is going, why are people leaving and is the rest still happy? There is a reason why most companies focus more on talent management than ever before, this fits with the current demands of the workforce. It’s better for a company to invest (time, resources and money) in existing employees instead of keeping to hire new staff. Internal retention is key. This is not new, even though we now live in faster times, it has always been and always will be that happy people will make a company work.

Interested to work for a company that is always moving forward, where talented teamwork is encouraged and has the best coffee to boot? Check out our jobs section.