4 Steps to Ensure Long-Term Workers

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Overcoming hurdlesEvery company wants employees who are committed. When a worker is committed to a job, it will show through his or her work. Committed workers care about the company overall, not just themselves or their paychecks. This could mean working longer hours or over the weekends to ensure a project is completed. Or taking on several tasks at once when other team members are absent to ensure the department still runs smoothly.

Most importantly, commitment can mean longevity within an organization, which benefits both the company and the worker. Longevity builds reputation as people take note that your company has many workers who have stayed with the company for many years. This can appeal to future job seekers because they will see the company as a respected organization with a nice company culture. Workers are choosing to stay there for a reason, right?

This also helps employees because they can move up the corporate ladder, build their network within the company as they continue working there and have the organization attest to the workers’ skills and commitment. Yet, especially for those currently entering the workforce, staying in one position for an extended amount of time isn’t the norm. Most of today’s professionals have had multiple jobs; it’s very common for an individual to change jobs once a year.

With all of the moving and shifting in the workforce, how can companies ensure they hire people who will be committed to the business long term? Below are four important areas to evaluate a potential candidate’s long term plans in relation to your company:

Motivation

This is arguably the most important area to look at when determining a prospective employee’s long term commitment to your organization. The reason(s) behind why an individual is seeking employment with your company will tell you a lot. Is he or she trying to advance his or her career within the industry? Or does the candidate simply need a job and your company was the first to respond? Really pick a potential employee’s brain during the hiring process to unveil his or her motivation(s) for applying. This way, you’ll be able to weed out those who desire to work for reasons other than fully developing and growing him/herself and the company in the future.

History

Past work experience will also reveal an applicant’s motives. Look at the places an individual has worked. Did he or she move around a lot? Are the applicant’s previous positions all in the same industry as your company or has he or she bounced around from field to field? Assessing whether or not an individual’s track record aligns with his or her reasoning (the individual provides) for wanting to work in your company will show if the candidate is a long-term worker. If the vacant position is for a reporter and you see a candidate’s past work history reflects jobs and internships in journalism, you can conclude he or she is applying for the right reasons. On the other hand, if the person’s resume shows jobs in various industries for short lengths of time (especially multiple jobs in one year), this may be a red flag.

Compensation

Salary and benefits are important because jobs are not just about building yourself professionally, but being properly rewarded for the work you do. Yet, this also means money is often the sole reason an individual is seeking work, and, many times, it’s not about the position itself, but how much it makes. Take note of candidates who immediately bring up salary or ask about raises and bonuses. Also, when discussing salary, ask potential employees whether or not they would stay in a position where the salary never increased and why? Or if he or she would immediately leave the company if offered a higher paying position somewhere else. This will help you see a person’s true motives and bypass those who are just looking to make money and then move onto a higher paying position as soon as possible. Many workers who are fully committed to a job are willing to sacrifice certain things. For example, common low paying jobs (especially entry level) like in writing, teaching or the arts have people who still continue to work in these fields because they enjoy (or love) what they do. Money is important but it’s not the sole reason they’re working in that position.

Goals

What are the candidate’s goals? How do they align with your company? Or how will the position help them reach their goals. This is a very crucial area to look at when trying to uncover if an applicant will stay long term or not. If you see from the beginning that your open position really doesn’t relate to what a job seeker is trying to accomplish in the future, it may be best for the company and the applicant if you don’t pursue him or her.

 

By Shala Marks