Attract, Motivate, and Retain the Best Employees

Its no secret that a companys success is largely determined by its employees. As such, its imperative for companies to have the best employees possible. In this dissertation I will outline what companies are doing today to attract, motivate, and retain the best employees. I will include several authors and theorists and provide connections between practice and theory with current examples. Attracting the Best Employees In terms of attracting the best employees, Samuel Greengard, writer for Workforce Management Magazine and author of the article Gimme Attitude!, notes that its a straightforward concept: hire the right people and build a better and more profitable organization (2003, pp. 2). In other words, if a company wants to be successful, it must attract the best employees possible. However, how exactly should todays companies attract, and identify, the best employees? According to Greengard, the answer resides within the hiring process itself. Rather than hiring primarily based on skill sets and rsums, Greengard says that a company should be hiring for attitude. Attitude, defined as a persons personality, behavior, and character, is a vitally important quality in an employee because it can determine the overall scope of that employees ability. For instance, job skills can be taught, but a company cant teach an employee to be enthusiastic about his/her job (Greengard, 2003, pp. 2). Therefore, in order to attract the best employees, a company should make attitude the primary focus and the rsum secondary. Many of todays companies such as the Women and Infants Hospital in New England have begun hiring based on attitude and have been met with great success. Karen Schoch, who conducts the interviews for the hospital, says that after only 1 year of hiring based on attitude the hospital has seen increased productivity. Additionally, the turnover rate measured 8.5% compared to the national average of 20-25%, and patient satisfaction rose from 71 to 89% (Greengard, 2003, pp. 1). However, Anne Fisher, senior writer for Fortune Magazine, warns that in hiring for attitude its important to distinguish passion from enthusiasm (2006, pp. 1). Enthusiasm is a quality which can be

easily feigned, and while the employee may initially seem like a perfect fit for the company, his/her lack of true passion will eventually lead to disappointing results (Fisher, 2006, pp. 1). If a company wishes to hire the best employees it must learn to attract the person who is passionate about his/her job, rather than just enthusiastic in general. Greengard also warns that hiring for attitude can be a complicated and time-consuming process (2003, pp. 3). But, if a company like the Women and Infants Hospital takes the time to match the right person to the right job that is, hiring for attitude and passion rather than rsum and enthusiasm the process will be worth it, and the company will succeed in attracting the best employees. Motivating Those Employees In The Human Side of Enterprise, Douglas McGregor comments that the conventional approach of management is [an] inadequate (1960, p. 475) motivator for employees. Instead, McGregor draws from the principles of Abraham Maslow and his Hierarchy of Needs to suggest how to motivate employees in what he calls Theory Y. In essence, if a company has just attracted the best employees, then it must be able to continually motivate them to maximize success. To do this, Theory Y states that instead of managing by direction and control (conventional management), managers should give employees self-regulation, and allow for personal development and responsibility (McGregor, 1960, p. 478-479). According to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, this is motivating because the first 4 levels of need only motivate when something is missing. But, self-actualization, the fifth level of need, is continuous (Killinger, 2013, p. 2). If managers can draw upon this need, then workers will be continuously motivated by the opportunity to grow and improve themselves. With this in mind, Ive realized that the reason Im so motivated to achieve at my job at Northwestern Mutual is because it feeds my need to grow. Instead of directing my every action, my managers allow me the freedom to complete my job as I see fit. This gives me the chance to be

inventive and create newer and better systems to complete tasks. This then gives me a sense of fulfillment and achievement, and motivates me more than if I was constantly ordered. I know this because my previous managers at Harmons were very controlling, and as a result I was unmotivated. However, its important to remember that Maslow and McGregor say that a persons need for self-actualization will only be a motivator if all other needs are met (Killinger, 2013, p. 2). But, McGregor also notes that if the other needs are not met, they can be used to motivate employees in the same way the need for self-actualization is (1960, p. 476). Unlike self-actualization though, these needs will only motivate until they are fulfilled. In addition, McGregor says that the reason conventional management is not motivating, and giving employees increased responsibility and the potential for development is, is simply because its the difference between treating people as children and treating them as mature adults (1960, p. 478). In other words, by treating employees as adults, and giving them the responsibility to improve and challenge themselves, companies will motivate their employees. The best companies of today, such as Northwestern Mutual, are using these principals to effectively motivate employees more than ever before. Retaining Those Employees Now that a company has attracted and motivated the best employees, its critical for the company to retain them. Carlson Shepherd, author for Employee Benefit News, and other experts such as Amy Lynch agree that one of the greatest ways to retain employees is to use savvy communication such as motivating language, and to build strong connections for example by sending employees personalized letters (2008, p. 1). The purpose of this is twofold: to provide an exciting and stimulating environment, but also, as Shepherd notes, to maintain bridges with their employees so that when they leave some will be enticed to return (2008, p. 2).

Shepherd adds that todays young workers are more likely to change jobs (2008, p. 2), so its important for employers to maintain favorable connections with their best employees so that if they leave, they will return. Specifically, Lynch says that having a strong presence online is a good way to retain employees. She also says that younger workers want to have more of an impact on society, so its important for todays companies to have strong connections to volunteering and social causes if they want to retain employees, and entice them to return later (Shepherd, 2008, p. 2). My employer, Northwestern Mutual, is following these principles exceptionally well and as a result is very successful in retaining employees. One of my coworkers, for example, left the company about 6 months ago to pursue community passions. Northwestern Mutual supported his dedication to service and kept a strong line of communication with him after his departure. Because of this, he returned to the company when he was ready to go back to work 1 year later. In addition to these principles, Frederick Herzberg, a behavioral scientist, says that if a company maintains its employees satisfiers growth needs it will retain the employees (Killinger, 2013, p. 3). For example, General Electric has been successful in retaining employees by having them set personal targets, and then allowing them to be independent in the management of those targets (McGregor, 1960, p. 479). Conclusively, employers should attract the best employees by hiring for attitude (personality) and passion over rsum and enthusiasm. Theorists and authors agree that in order to motivate, and ultimately keep, these employees, companies need to give them responsibility that fulfills their need for self-actualization. Its also important to build strong, favorable connections with employees so that if they leave they know theyre always welcome back. In short, it boils down to this: once you have the best employee, engage with and care for that employee.

References Fisher, A. (2006, July 12). How to Hire Passionate Employees. Fortune. Retrieved April 19, 2013: http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/11/news/economy/annie0712.fortune/index.htm Greengard, S., & Byham, B. (2003, July). Gimme Attitude!. Workforce, 82(7), 56-59. Retrieved April 19, 2013: http://web.ebscohost.com.dbprox.slcc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=5&sid=f3b3 14a6-e4f7-4d4e-b703 bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Q%3d#db=aph&AN=10210533 Killinger, K. (2013). A brief review of four management theorists: McGregor, Maslow, Hertzberg, and Argyris3 [Class handout]. Business Department, Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake City, UT. McGregor, D. M (1960). The Human Side of Enterprise In C. M. Boardman & A. N. Sandomir (Eds.), Foundations of Business Thought (2011, pp 474-479). Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing. Shepherd, L. (2008, September 15). Boomerang them back. Employee Benefit News, 22(12), 1718. Retrieved October 10, 2008, from Business Source Premier database. (Permalink): http://web.ebscohost.com.dbprox.slcc.edu/ehost/detail?sid=e7921054-714f-4a9f-ab36815e0af02d14%40sessionmgr115&vid=1& &b%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=34562575