June 16, 2022
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Attracting, developing, and retaining talent

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In the current market, you may find it difficult to hire and retain staff. This can be especially challenging when you’ve got limited resources and what attracts today’s new hires in the first place is fuzzy. 

Fortunately, we recently hosted a webinar where our panel of experts discussed some of the changes they’ve noticed in the hiring landscape and shared tips and tricks for retaining talent. 

Appraisals—from top to bottom 

For Joe Emanuele, Head of AEC at CMap Software, there’s nothing more important than feedback when it comes to staff retention. He suggests having appraisals every six months rather than annually, as they’re vital for catching the “early warning signs”. 

It’s also the format of appraisal that can make all the difference. Joe recommends “360” appraisals—an opportunity for you to appraisee to appraise the appraiser too. As Joe says, “it helps staff feel like they’re not just a part of a system, but valued in it too.” 

Planning for success—at your own pace 

When it comes to attracting staff, Kyle Bryant, Customer Success Manager for OpenAsset, says that there’s a shift of focus to the “culture” of companies: “I’ve noticed an emphasis on culture. Not just to retain talent, but to bring in new talent in this tough market,” he says.  

There are many things that the clients Kyle works with are doing to attract people, including flexibility in remote working and the provision of educational opportunities. The key thing, he noted, is the implementation of a clear success plan for new hires. What does fulfilment look like, both for you and the hire? How do you ensure you measure it and achieve it?

Tanya Quelch, Head of Business Systems at Grimshaw, added: “The younger generations want to progress much faster.” This brings its own challenges, particularly when there are a limited number of career paths—and a limited number of developmental stages within them. 

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Tanya warned. When staff members progress too quickly, they risk “burnt out” mid-career. If there’s no more room for progression, you risk finding yourself in a stagnant state.  

Her advice is to take your time and enjoy each phase of the career journey. It can feel like providing a long-term career perspective is at odds with today’s “instant-gratification” society, but this is something senior leaders across all industries can work towards a solution for. 

To watch the full discussion, click here.