02/08/2016

A New Twist on Recruiting, Managing and Retaining a Younger Workforce

Patricia A. Lilly, FPDA

Recruiting, managing and retaining a talented workforce is continually one of the top challenges mentioned by business owners and managers.  Last week, during the NAW Annual Meeting, one of the presenters offered an interesting alternative to the traditional hiring scenario.  Ben Casnocha, co-author of The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age, shared some thought-provoking insights.

To create a stronger relationship between employer and employee built on mutual trust, benefit and investment, craft a framework using a “tour of duty” approach.  In other words, outline the key mission objectives and specify a timeframe for the employee’s position. 

The four key components of a tour of duty are:

1. Define the mission objective. Clearly outline the goals and desired outcomes for the particular position; what this mission will accomplish, both to transform the company and the employee’s career.
2. Define the benefits for both sides. First, how the company will benefit from the employee’s contribution and second, how the employee’s career will benefit. Clearly show how their market value will increase and how their LinkedIn profile will add a new level of professionalism.
3. Outline the duration of the tour of duty.
4. Tours of duty are renewable if both parties agree. If an employee does not want to renew their tour of duty, they are welcome to join the company’s “alumni network.”

Alumni network, you say?  Yes!  Creating a networking environment for former employees shows you are investing in each employees relationships. You can maintain engagement even if they decide to move on as an Alumnus.  An employee that feels valued and engaged will be a positive voice for your company.  In this day and age, when lifetime employment with one company is no longer the norm, why not help foster a lifetime alliance?

Casnocha noted that the soft assets these younger workers are seeking are the ability to network, and the development of their skills and knowledge. Be the company that helps them expand their network.  He suggested that a company may want to allocate a particular dollar amount per quarter ($90) to assist new hires with building their network. This money can be used for them to have lunch with a colleague, or coffee with the last hired employee.  They can use the money how they see fit as long as they are using it to expand their network and increase their knowledge, all of which can benefit the employer.  Remember, as an employee’s network expands, so does the company’s network.

Casnocha suggested that trust between a manager and an employee is the foundation for talent management.  To gauge whether there is trust in the relationship, think about this:  if one of your employees was interviewing for another job, would they tell you?  If they would, they trust you. Open, honest communication is at the core of the Tour of Duty framework – both for the employee and for management.  A tour of duty framework also provides a clear outline of a mission accomplished – the desired outcome is identified and the employee and employer work together on the mission.

To learn more, pick up a copy of Managing Talent in the Networked Age.  Lots of food for thought.