How to attract, retain and develop high-achieving workers

by Kenneth W. Christian

Would you like to gain a permanent edge in the competition for attracting good talent? Would you like to see them stay and develop instead of moving on? Would you like to know how to attract high-achieving workers and be able to retain and develop them so that they make innovative contributions and enhance productivity?

Competition for excellent talent is always intense. No matter the state of the economy good talent is ceaselessly in demand. What organization has too many talented workers? What organization can afford to see even one high-achieving worker move on?

To attract, retain, and develop talent is not as complicated as it may seem. Organizations that actively support diversity and consistently invest in the development and well-being of their personnel create a climate that feeds high performance, a climate that fosters creativity, innovation and high achievement.

This kind of climate, once established, sets an organization apart as an employer of choice to be sought out by the best, brightest and most innovative candidates.

• A company that consistently invests in education, training and ongoing mentoring, far more easily aligns a multifaceted workforce with its goals.

• Employees in such a workforce develop loyalty to the fundamental cultural values of the organization and in turn actively support adherence to those values.

• This resulting standard of devotion and engagement creates in employees a willingness to tap into discretionary effort and go the extra mile for the employer that goes the extra mile for them.

• The result? Happy, productive workers who work harder and smarter, and when necessary, longer. They do so because they feel included, feel a sense of belonging, and are aligned with the goals of the organization. They know that their personal development is a fundamental organizational goal.

The following is a list of things that high-achieving people seek from a career in order to gain a maximum sense of involvement and accomplishment. Incorporate these elements and you create a climate that fosters the innovation, retention and productivity that brings about the coveted position of being an employer sought out by the best and highest achieving talent.

Create assignments at every level of your organization that maximize these traits.

1. Intrinsic personal interest: work that involves activities that are personally interesting and worthwhile in their own right.

2. Challenge and stimulation: work that provides problems of sufficient difficulty that solving them requires a satisfying use of mental agility.

3. Personal involvement: work that employees care about for a cause that matters to them.

4. Significance: tasks that make a real contribution and feeling that what the employee does matters.

5. Recognition: having efforts recognized and appreciated; being valued as a contributor and feeling that one’s efforts matter. The latter extends to being recognized and appreciated for one’s humanity and diversity and to having one’s person and one’s personal life and needs honored and respected.

6. Influence: the ability to have some degree of say regarding one’s job and the overall enterprise. To feel that the organization takes into account and values the individual’s input.

7. Creativity: the opportunity to contribute ideas and solutions and to receive support and recognition for such contributions.

8. Independence: the ability to work independently and make decisions autonomously without constant scrutiny.

9. Control: the ability to exercise a degree of choice over work schedule and work activities.

10. Income: a sufficient or comfortable income and benefits.

11. Security: the promise of dependable, ongoing employment.

12. Positive environment: a positive work environment with congenial co-workers.

To include these twelve elements involves accurately and thoroughly appraising the current organizational climate, targeting specific structural and cultural changes to be made, and then engaging in a well-formulated, planned and managed change process.

Though the effort necessary to implement changes may span one to three years, depending on the current situation, beneficial results of such actions will become evident in as little as a few months.

The business case for doing so is compelling. The results are increased productivity, innovation, morale and employee retention.

Kenneth Christian is licensed psychologist (Ph.D.) with more than 25 years experience, and the author of the book, Your Own Worst Enemy: Breaking the Habit of Adult Underachievement (Regan Books/ Harper Collins). A speaker and organizational consultant, he is an expert on workplace/organizational achievement.

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