Christina Janzer, Senior Vice President of Research and Analytics at Slack challenges the conventional HR world where recruiting top talent always takes centre stage and focuses on a critical shift from recruiting to keeping and developing talent. Instead of just concentrating on attracting the right talent, Janzer emphasises retention and growth strategies for existing personnel. The attractiveness of normal company benefits such as free snacks and fitness classes is different from what Janzer focuses on. It takes people beyond superficial offerings and helps them deliver their career-best performances. It comprises appreciating inputs, creating trust, developing meaningful relations, and promoting the health of the staff. The incorporation of these elements together creates an atmosphere in which employees contribute their best and are motivated towards realizing significant business goals.
This approach highlights the significance of identifying employee values and workplace conditions that are optimal for them when talking about talent retention strategies. A research team led by Janzer in Slack carries out quarterly surveys to explore what motivates employees’ productivity and positive work experience. This continuous process helps employees to reflect on employee values, preferences of work, and the elements that lead to long-term work enjoyment. One of the major findings from these surveys relates to trust as essential to getting employees ready for success. Shockingly, more than one in four employees globally express not feeling trusted by their employers. This trust deficit spans various aspects and is particularly prevalent among younger workers. Even high-performing employees, meticulously selected during the recruitment process, share this sentiment of not feeling fully trusted.
Janzer stresses that this trust deficit is not exclusive to any performance level. Even high performers, who are typically sought after and selected with great care, report experiencing this trust gap. To address this, Janzer advocates for a default approach of complete trust when hiring, suggesting that unless the trust is compromised, it should remain intact over time.
Addressing this trust deficit is pivotal for organizations aiming to retain their top talent.
By prioritizing a workplace culture that values trust, organizations can create an environment where employees not only perform at their best but also choose to stay and grow within the company.
