First the good news, most employers (78%) say that they will hold steady with their staff for 2012, according to Abbey Lombardi in www.wantedanalytics.com (12/29/11). 18% will be expanding their staff and about 4% may reduce current needs due to business loss or redundncies in staff. This is MUCH better than we have seen in the past 4 years. Some of the key growth internationally is in the Asia Pacific, more specifically China. We are consistently seeing employers ask for “Mandarin speaking skills preferred” in candidates. Though the U.S. is seeing steady growth, it is not as aggressive as China is seeing.

Some of the more difficult job searches are for web development, user experience, mobile marketing, CRM research/analytics and social media marketing, according to Keith Cline (Inc. Magazine 12/19/11). These positions require specialized skills that are in high demand and consequently, pay some of the top salaries and pay rates. Recruiters are ALWAYS looking for these people and once they have people who have proven their worth in these areas, they keep them consistently working. This is the area where we foresee bidding wars occurring for talent.

Today’s process of finding marketing/creative talent has changed greatly from where we were just a few years ago. Traditional methods of newspaper, yellow page postings, magazine ads and job fairs do not have the same impact or attendance as they once did and therefore the results often miss the mark. Of course, this varies based on the skill set being sourced as well as the geographic resources available. Recruiting firms today rely on the digital platform, social media and word-of-mouth to get the candidates with the skills our clients demand.

Social media is a HUGE factor in finding today’s talent. Some of the more common sites are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter & YouTube. Each resource is unique in how the person’s information is viewed and perceived. LinkedIn is a great tool to find key employer experience, educational training, professional associations and built in recommendations of the person’s performance. Facebook is often used to verify a cultural fit with an employer. The notion that information on Facebook is private and it is okay to say or do whatever online is foolish. Anything posted on the web can be viewed by all. Some high security or government positions are including a review of personal Facebook sites as part of their personality/security assessments. There is state legislation in process now regarding individual rights and public need to know. Keep in mind, it isn’t just what you might say or pictures you post, it is also the company that you keep. Be smart about monitoring your Facebook wall and updates. There are options to potentially limit access to a broader audience that should be considered.

Recruiters are getting creative in sourcing talent. We find that sponsoring unique events that cater to a specific target audience can yield long-term benefits. Referral incentives are also seeing a surge again.

The absolute best way to find talent is by referrals from people you trust or from employees who are doing an outstanding job. It is who you know and who knows you!

Employers need to make sure to utilize internal referrals in securing new people. It not only can control your costs but it builds a team approach and makes them feel more invested in the company.

Today’s final takeaway is that digital is the platform to find talent and to be found. Constantly update your information so that it is relevant and current. Monitor your personal sites so that there are no surprises. It is okay to de-friend a person on Facebook if they are making inappropriate statements or propaganda that is contrary to your stance, even if it is “Aunt Sally”. It is a good thing to connect with others in your field on LinkedIn. It can improve your rating and also give you the appearance of being the person to know. It is not necessary to connect with a stranger that is outside of your focus or in a path that you do not want to follow. More connections are not better if the relationship is distant or non-existent. Report spammers IMMEDIATELY and protect your online image.

The digital pace is faster and much more detailed. Use it wisely and the payoff will be evident.

We are beginning to see counter-offers and bidding wars for top level talent. If you have to counter in order to keep an employee, you might save yourself the cost and frustration by taking care of them now before they want to leave. My experience has proven that a counter offer is just a short-term fix. A loyal and committed employer would serve themselves well to evaluate their company’s risk of losing key personnel who are critical to the success of day to day business and growth. Direct turnover costs per employee are about 25%-30% of an individual employee’s salary/benefits package, according to market research firm InsightLink Communications.

We interview candidates every day and see a broad range of experience and talent. I thought it might be helpful to get another perspective of why people leave a job.

Some of the more common reasons people share with us regarding why they are looking to leave are: broken promises, loss of business, change in management, no growth in role, role has changed, money, benefits, commute, staff conflict, merger/acquisition, review/raise. Almost all of these can be remedied or addressed before people leave.

Broken Promises- Whether real or in a person’s own mind, a broken promise is hard to overcome. It could be as simple as a dedicated parking space or a review that never happens. Once the trust is gone, you have an uphill battle.

Loss of business- Business comes and goes. Unfortunately, the people who support that business do as well.

Change in management- Employees don’t like breaking in a new boss. It is always uncomfortable and creates a shuffling of roles and relationships. No one wants to be the odd man out.

No Growth in Role- Driven employees have a full agenda of what they are trying to accomplish in their career. If the advancement in their career at your firm is not to the level they expect, they will jump to find it elsewhere.

Role has changed- Change is not always perceived as good. A person who is a routine style employee will find any alteration in their work rhythm as painful.

Money- Competitive pay for services rendered is an expectation. An employee may take less when the market is down for survival, but once it improves they will be gone if they are not given a fair increase. Also, there is an unspoken expectation that a person’s salary increases with years of service. It could be in promotion, performance or a cost of living increase. Money is the most sacred of areas protected by an employee.

Benefits- This concern is most important to individuals with families to support or people who might have a pre-existing condition. They need cost-effective and comprehensive options that are broad and affordable. A job with little to no health benefits is a high turnover risk.

Commute- People prefer to work, as a general rule, within a 30 minute commute from their home. Our candidates are reluctant to consider jobs more than an hour commute.

Staff conflict- People do not want to work in an environment where there is personality or personal conflict.

Merger/Acquisition- When two companies combine there is often a redundancy of staff. Reducing the additional people helps control costs and improves productivity. It can be perceived as the perfect time for people who are afraid that they might be on the chopping block to jump ship. Good people who are fearful may jump too soon.

Review/Raise- This is the most common reason I hear from people for leaving a job. It could be because they haven’t had a review and don’t feel valued or that they don’t agree with the reviewer’s opinion of them, or lack of a pay adjustment.

Total Score 50-60 You have a work environment where staff grow and are loyal.

35-49 Your firm is considered stable and provides most of the things an employee seeks

25-34 You have and environment that is not for everyone.

0-24 Your firm is at a high risk of losing key staff for better opportunities

This assessment is not a scientific tool. It is based on social feedback and the opinions of staff and recruiters compiling this data.

Did you know that there were more than 700 different tablets on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show? That means there were literally hundreds of new opportunities for businesses to connect with their customers. And the opportunities are only going to increase, as a recent report by Harris Interactive predicted that one in every five U.S. consumers will own a tablet by 2014.

Obviously, the tablet market has made significant strides since the introduction of the original iPad. Now, marketing professionals need to make sure that their strategies and capabilities advance to take advantage of the increasing prevalence of this emerging technology.

For example, consider incorporating business-to-business strategies for high-level marketing and sales pitches. Utilizing tablets can give your business a fresh approach that may help your presentations stand out.

Or perhaps you can take advantage of the mobile and interactive nature of tablet technology to evolve the state of your traditional print brochures and collateral. Imagine not just giving static facts and figures, but presenting prospects with a well-crafted story and an immersive atmosphere facilitated by touch responses and real-time feedback. The possibilities, and the potential, are virtually limitless. 

It is clear that you can do much more with a tablet than play Angry Birds or check the weather. Like print, radio, television and web marketing, tablets represent the next great medium by which businesses can engage their customers and fuel growth.

Do your employees understand your business strategy and their role in it? If not, how can they be active, engaged and productive members of your corporate team?

Every day, executives are in meetings discussing various aspects of their corporate business strategy—fine-tuning goals, adjusting approaches, addressing challenges. It’s what executives live and breathe every day of their lives. 

But what about the rank and file employees? They’re busy doing their jobs. Likely, they are not aware of changes in the global market place in which your company operates. They are probably not aware of how market changes impact the way you do business. They may not fully understand how they contribute to your success, or failure. And most importantly, I wonder if they are fully aware of what your success or failure means to them – the impact it has on their work environment, the benefits they receive, their income, and in fact, whether or not they have a job.

Let me give you an example that I hope clearly illustrates the lack of connection between employee actions and corporate business strategy. I once had a team member I’ll call Spencer (that happens to be my dog’s name).

Spencer was a terrific employee, except when it came to customer service. When Spencer would get a request from a client, either internal or external, he might be helpful, or, depending on his mood, he might be downright surly. If it wasn’t something our department handled, Spencer would just say it wasn’t his job and end the conversation, not making an effort to help customers find the answer.

One day, Spencer and I had a discussion about his job. I asked if he liked working for the company. “Yes,” he said. I asked if he appreciated the opportunities the company afforded for continuing education. Again, he said “yes”. I asked if he liked his benefits and the annual bonus. His answer was, “of course.”

Then, I explained that the only reason he had a job with nice benefits, a bonus and the opportunity for continuing education, etc. was because of the money customers spent with our company, rather than with a competitor. I also explained how an unpleasant or unhelpful phone conversation or email exchange could cost us that customer, which would then reduce the funds available for jobs, benefits, continuing education, bonuses, etc.

Spencer was, as I said earlier, a good employee. He quickly became a great employee. His change in attitude was so dramatic and so positive that everyone noticed, including the CEO.

Every company has employees like Spencer. Effective employee communications can help them understand their role in making your business a success. Importantly, solid employee communications can help them understand why they have a vested interest in that success. A company-wide meeting once or twice a year won’t accomplish that. But a comprehensive, employee communication strategy that creates an ongoing discussion, will.

Virginia V. Mann is an associate of Paladin. She provides clients with Corporate Communications, Public Relations and Public Affairs expertise.