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Written by: Sharlyn Lauby | HR Bartender
Employee engagement and retention continue to be top challenges for business. In dealing with these issues, organizations have to recognize that they are related. We can’t engage employees that don’t stay and employees won’t stay if they’re not engaged. So in developing our employee retention strategy, we have to look for those tools and solutions that we help us accomplish both.
Technology is one of those things.
Many organizations use technology to recruit. Even if all you’re doing is posting jobs on LinkedIn, you’re using technology. Employees have a level of expectation that they will use technology at work. It could be in onboarding paperwork, employee self-service, or performance management. Employees are comfortable with technology in their work.
That doesn’t mean that technology is a replacement for human interaction. We still need face-to-face conversation. For example, it’s probably not a good thing to do a stay interview online. The goal is to find out how to keep an employee engaged so you can retain them. It could send a mixed message to do that via an online survey.
But organizations could use technology to keep track of who has conducted stay interviews or record notes of the interview to possibly spot trends that need to be addressed. Technology solutions don’t have to be the entire process. They can be a very effective step in the process.
Technology also allows organizations to be in multiple places at the same time. Many organizations are realizing that engagement (and ultimately retention) start with the hiring process and the candidate experience. But the days of spray and pray recruiting are over. We must be more strategic in our employee retention strategy. That’s where technology comes in.
Career portals, talent networks, social sharing and recruitment marketing are all technology solutions and tools that allow companies to tailor their message and direct candidates to the right information. Technology allows us to control the message so the candidate knows exactly what to expect before they ever apply.
Getting our arms around what technology can do for our business isn’t easy. There are many technology solutions available. We have to understand what we are trying to accomplish, so we choose the solution that meets our needs. This really came into focus for me recently when I was having some challenges with my internet browser, Google Chrome. I was getting increasingly frustrated with it so I decided I was going to switch to Internet Explorer. I know, I know – Internet Explorer?! …but I was really frustrated. So I spent days moving all my bookmarks, etc.
As soon as I did it, I immediately regretted it. I missed my Chrome extensions, etc. That was when I realized, I didn’t have to choose . I was getting frustrated over nothing. I can have a primary and secondary browser. Voila! Problem fixed.
It’s the same with other forms of technology. We don’t have to choose one program or platform. That’s what makes technology so great. If we let it, we can increase our effectiveness by letting technology be a part of our employee retention strategy. There’s no one way to engage employees. We need to let technology help us . Just be smart about the role it plays.