We are in the service sector, and as with the situation today, we don't find ready-to-consume talent. Fresh Aspirants are only after money and have no orientation to learn, nor do they have patience. We have a team of about 25-30 individuals where, and the attrition rate is five people per month; besides this, despite having a biometric with a working schedule, we have regular offenders who absent themselves without any sense of responsibility. More importantly, the free birds have no fear of losing their jobs since they can easily knock at vacant positions with a wanted sign dangling every few blocks
Dear member,
We the members of this forum are outsiders and unless we understand the causes of employee attrition in your company, we cannot recommend any solution. Moreover, you have written that you are from the service sector. But what kind of services do you provide? What is the nature of the customers? Where the services are provided? Are they provided at your place or the customers' doorstep?
Employee retention depends on myriad factors. However, let me guess and provide you with the reasons or ask a few questions. These are as below:
a) Attrition could be because of the wrong recruitment. There could be a mismatch between the nature of the job and the people selected. When people discover that their nature is not aligned with the work requirements, they leave the job.
b) Suitability of the candidature is not the only factor that needs to be looked at while recruiting. A candidate's career consciousness is also important. How do you check whether the candidates wishe to grow in their career or not?
c) Does the freshly-passed candidates perceive that they are underpaid considering the rigours of the job? Do they feel they are being let down?
d) How is the quality of the supervision? Do the supervisors or the managers mistreat them?
e) Is there a divide between long-serving and newly-joined employees? Do the long-serving employees live in their world or use their length of service as a badge of honour? Do they behave impersonally with the new employees? Do the long-serving employees have a negative attitude towards the company? Do they spread their negativity among the newly joined employees?
f) Are the systems and processes well-defined and documented? Do the employees are clear regarding what to do, when to do it, how to do it, where to do it, etc.? Is a well-documented process manual in place?
g) How the work of the newly joined employees is measured? Are the measures of performance well-defined if yes, then do they meet the SMART principle?
h) Coming to the recruitment again. Do you conduct IQ tests while recruiting freshly-passed graduates?
i) Once the employees join, how the induction training is conducted and what is its duration? Does the training cover all the aspects of the job?
j) During the induction training, are the newly-joined employees told about the case studies of the growth of the employees in the company? Are the long-serving employees projected as role models for them?
k) Do the long-serving employees have above-average IQ levels? Do they work because of their long stay or because of their talent?
l) Are the long-serving employees sufficiently empowered? Do they have authority commensurate to their position or are they just faceless functionaries?
m) Do you conduct the exit interviews? Notwithstanding abandonment of their employment, did you send the exit interview questionnaire to the ex-employees to find out why are they quitting?
n) What types of customers do you have? Because of the poor customer service do the customers get frustrated and shout at the employees?
There are many questions associated with your post. At this stage, the above guidelines are sufficient. Work on those and find out whether the attrition problem is mitigated. If not, then come back and tell us what worked and what did not work.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
7907We the members of this forum are outsiders and unless we understand the causes of employee attrition in your company, we cannot recommend any solution. Moreover, you have written that you are from the service sector. But what kind of services do you provide? What is the nature of the customers? Where the services are provided? Are they provided at your place or the customers' doorstep?
Employee retention depends on myriad factors. However, let me guess and provide you with the reasons or ask a few questions. These are as below:
a) Attrition could be because of the wrong recruitment. There could be a mismatch between the nature of the job and the people selected. When people discover that their nature is not aligned with the work requirements, they leave the job.
b) Suitability of the candidature is not the only factor that needs to be looked at while recruiting. A candidate's career consciousness is also important. How do you check whether the candidates wishe to grow in their career or not?
c) Does the freshly-passed candidates perceive that they are underpaid considering the rigours of the job? Do they feel they are being let down?
d) How is the quality of the supervision? Do the supervisors or the managers mistreat them?
e) Is there a divide between long-serving and newly-joined employees? Do the long-serving employees live in their world or use their length of service as a badge of honour? Do they behave impersonally with the new employees? Do the long-serving employees have a negative attitude towards the company? Do they spread their negativity among the newly joined employees?
f) Are the systems and processes well-defined and documented? Do the employees are clear regarding what to do, when to do it, how to do it, where to do it, etc.? Is a well-documented process manual in place?
g) How the work of the newly joined employees is measured? Are the measures of performance well-defined if yes, then do they meet the SMART principle?
h) Coming to the recruitment again. Do you conduct IQ tests while recruiting freshly-passed graduates?
i) Once the employees join, how the induction training is conducted and what is its duration? Does the training cover all the aspects of the job?
j) During the induction training, are the newly-joined employees told about the case studies of the growth of the employees in the company? Are the long-serving employees projected as role models for them?
k) Do the long-serving employees have above-average IQ levels? Do they work because of their long stay or because of their talent?
l) Are the long-serving employees sufficiently empowered? Do they have authority commensurate to their position or are they just faceless functionaries?
m) Do you conduct the exit interviews? Notwithstanding abandonment of their employment, did you send the exit interview questionnaire to the ex-employees to find out why are they quitting?
n) What types of customers do you have? Because of the poor customer service do the customers get frustrated and shout at the employees?
There are many questions associated with your post. At this stage, the above guidelines are sufficient. Work on those and find out whether the attrition problem is mitigated. If not, then come back and tell us what worked and what did not work.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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