Getting & Keeping High-Performing Staff

I had the most fun I have ever had, and was the most inspired I have ever been, at a conference last week:  the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) Members Forum.  I had the pleasure of leading a discussion group on "Getting & Keeping High-Performing Staff."  As you can imagine, it was an interesting discussion full of insights and shared frustrations.  Below are the best 5 practices we compiled for that session.  We hope they provide some useful information!  Kim

1.  ID the skills, knowledge, abilities (competencies) and qualities required and recruit and screen candidates for them!

The only way you can know who to hire is by knowing who you need.

• What competencies are required to do the job? 
• What and how much experience do you want candidates to have that may indicate competence for certain tasks and roles?
• What qualities do you need the ideal candidate to possess? 

Behavior-based interviews can be informative, followed by some sort of performance (i.e. a presentation, facilitation, preparing a document, completing a task, etc.).  Combined, they give you a fairly good sense of how candidates have behaved in the past and the quality and style of their “work.”  When assessing candidates, prioritize:   Which skills must they walk in the door with and which can be developed if need be?  Which qualities are non-negotiable?  And in the end, don’t ignore your gut!

2 Resources:  “KSA Assessment for Youth Service Professionals,” National Collaborative on Work and Disability for Youth  http://www.ncwd-youth.info/professional-development

“The STAR Interviewing Method,” Wikipedia (behavior-based interview model) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situation,_Task,_Action,_Result

2.  Your top candidate must have a passion for your mission and fit with your organizational culture

This can be the difference between a new hire staying for 5 months or several years.  Find out what gets them excited about the job/work.

Also, find out whether they are a fit with your organizational culture by asking where they thrive:  1) which types of work environments, 2) what type of bosses, 3) how they respond to change, 4) what pace of work they prefer, 5) how much structure they need, and 6) how they handle stress?

Article:  “How to Measure Culture Fit Up, Down and Sideways,”  ere.net  http://www.ere.net/2012/02/10/how-to-measure-cultural-fit-up-down-and-sideways/

3.  Make sure your on-boarding process is robust, reflects your priorities and feels welcoming

A standard onboarding  process should exist, that can be supplemented with additional, position-specific activities.  Onboarding should last for 6 months!  The high-level objectives of a good onboarding program include:

• Helping the employee to identify with their new employer
• Allowing the employee to understand some of the company's values and priorities
• Building an optimistic attitude towards the company
• Avoiding misunderstandings
• Helping the employee feel valued
• Encouraging socialization and creating a sense of belonging
• Reducing new employee anxiety
• Setting performance expectations
• Decreasing the learning curve

Of particular importance among the post baby boom generations is to feel they've made friends at work.  By quickly introducing these workers to their new coworkers, they can start to build the relationships they need, and employers can reduce new employee turnover.

Resource:  “Employee Onboarding,” Money-zine.com  http://www.money-zine.com/Career-Development/Finding-a-Job/Employee-Onboarding/

4. and 5.  Design and implement a year-round professional development program that is aligned with the needs of the organization, field and individuals in your organization AND develops close relationships and communicates the priorities and culture of the organization

A year-round plan should exist that addresses organizational, positional/program and individual professional development needs.  Does your organization value and promote PD and relationship-building?  Are there resources for PD, teambuilding and play?  How do you assess PD needs?  Is PD included in your organizational calendar (do you make time)?

Resource:  National Collaborative on Work and Disability for Youth                   

2 documents:  “KSA Assessment for Youth Service Professionals” & “KSA Professional Development Assessment for Organizations and Systems”  http://www.ncwd-youth.info/professional-development

2 Articles:  “Managing Yourself:  What Brain Science Tells Us About How to Excel,” Harvard Business Review  http://hbr.org/2010/12/managing-yourself-what-brain-science-tells-us-about-how-to-excel/ar/pr

“10 Steps to Making Your Employees Smile,”  Inc. http://www.inc.com/paul-spiegelman/ten-steps-to-an-engaged-company-culture.html