The first goal of recruiting is well stated by a statement made by Katharine Esty, Sheree Galpent and Sylan Dalton “Employee Retention- Keeping the Best and the Brightest” which states “Retention efforts need to begin even before the want ads get placed. Before recruitment begins, organization need to be clear about the following: Knowledge, Skills, Ability, Telecommuting, Job Sharing, Flex Time, and Benefit Options available to the candidates”(p. 4) on the day of orientation. This is very important because after going through the hiring process we need to be able to retain the employees to get a good return on our investment.
The second goal of recruiting is to communicate the position in such a way that Job seekers responds. This mean making sure the job description is well written with key words that will grab the attention and interest of qualified candidates. We also need to know where and when to place the ads so we can attract the best. To recruit specialists in the field then we should look at trade publications, morning and evening radio and television advertisement. Less Specialized positions can be advertised in the local newspapers and still meet the hiring goals.
A third goal should be to make the work place conductive to all employees. This will include competitive salaries, bonuses, and benefits packages offered by the organization to discourage employees from seeking employment somewhere else. According to Marianne Short, VP of Human Resource for the Seattle Mariners thinks this is a very important goal, a year ago she was faced with this dilemma when she was loosing half of her staff to the Dot Com Companies because they offered signing bonuses. Marianne was aware of the cost associated with hiring due to high employees’ turnover. Marianne met with the Owners and presented a business case for them to offer signing bonuses to employees so they could stay competitive with the other local businesses and reduce the high employee turnover rate. The Owners agreed and the plan was implemented and the employee turnover rate went down to one percent. This was a Company that valued employees and the bottom line. (Personal Interview)
Attracting, Developing and Retaining a Skilled, Motivated, Involved, Diverse and Global Team
Boeing looked at three areas to meet their strategy goal of attracting, developing and retaining a skilled, motivated, involved, diverse and global team. The first step is to provide compensation and benefits that are market competitive and recognizes performance that achieves outstanding business result. The compensation and benefits includes medical coverage, dental coverage, vision care, flexible spending accounts, cash award programs, employee incentive plan, , service awards program, special incentive awards program and many more. Employees receive 80 hours of sick leave a year and 80 to 160 hours of vacation depending on years of service. They have three days of paid bereavement leave and extended military pay for employees called to active duty past 90 days. Boeing is the leading the industry in providing employees with a competitive compensation and benefit package. This gives them a competitive advantage in recruiting college studies because all benefits are effective on the 1st day of work.
The second step is to provide the opportunity for, and actively encourage lifelong learning, training and development, and purposeful use of skills. The lifelong learning program is one of the best in the country. It is called the Boeing Learning Together Program and is offered to all current employees, union and nonunion. Tuition and books are paid in full for any class associated with a degree or certificate. Upon completion of a degree program, the graduates receive fifty Boeing stocks for an Associate Degree and one hundred stocks for a Bachelor Degree, Master Degree, or PHD. Education is very expensive but Boeing believes that the only thing worse than training good employees and losing them is not training them and keeping them.
The last one is to reduce the cost associated with advertising. Internet Recruiting according to Mark Sangerman “has been the most significant new development in the staffing industry’s long history”(Cashing in on Hiring Trends p.1). Most corporations are moving away from local employment office to take advantage of the low cost of Internet recruiting because the environment is forcing corporations to eliminate waste by implementing lean processes. Last year, Boeing implemented the Boeing Enterprise Staffing System (BESS) to advertise all job openings including internal and external. The system allows job seekers around the world easy access on-line to apply for position at the Boeing Company. This implementation lowered the cost associated with hiring, therefore keeping Boeing competitive with the rest of the industry.
Continuously Building Leadership Strength & Depth
First step is to provide a robust, comprehensive, intentional development and succession planning processes and experiences that build leaders who produce measurable positive business results year after year. In 1997, Boeing recognized that they needed to engage a diverse group of employees with intellectual and experiential challenges to prepare them for future leadership. The program was called Expo in 1997 and was adopted by the Fabrication Organization and renamed the Leadership Development Program (LDP) but focused on the same development experiences. It is a two-year program for non-management employees nominated by management and selected by the senior management team. The program is designed to enhance general leadership skills through experience based learning. They also implemented a program for managers that would like to pursue a career as a senior manager. This program is a One-year program with the same objectives and goals but a more comprehensive learning environment. Both programs have been successful by providing a qualified list of candidates for leadership opportunities when openings occur.
Second step is to provide leaders with the tools to take personal responsibility for identifying strengths, opportunities, and actions for their own development, and for encouraging the development of those they lead. Human Resource implemented the Performance Evaluation, Performance Development Plan, and Performance Evaluation Worksheet. It is mandatory that all employees meet four times a year with their managers to discuss all three plans. The process allows managers to engage their employees on their career path objectives by identifying developmental opportunities on their Performance Development Plan. There are several opportunities available to be utilized by the employees and managers during a given year. Rotational programs (formal/informal), Skills development/Technical training, On-the Job Training, Cross Training, Special Projects, and Pre-Management Assessment Process are documented processes that are effective when used on a consistent basis. The bottom line when done correctly will foster a culture that establishes a management/employee partnership which identifies and provides the tools, knowledge, and opportunities to enhance current job responsibilities and career development and give the organization a strategy advantage.
Enabling Organizational Agility and Globalization
First step is to create the flexibility to quickly and efficiently change business processes and technical systems to meet business needs. Human Resource organization is in the process of changing their role which will impact the whole company. They are implementing processes that leverage technology to provide administrative services through self-service with Total Access. Human Resource Professionals will increase focus on creating and implementing people strategies; more partnering with employees, managers and businesses. They changed all their legacy systems and replaced them with People Soft, so they have the flexibility to change quickly to meet the needs of the business.
The second one is to build talent in Boeing, worldwide, that supports expansion into the global market. Diversity Recruiting can be used as a competitive advantage if used right. A diverse workforce allows a company to better serve a diverse customer and supplier base. We as a nation are moving more toward a global economy therefore making it a necessity to recruit candidates from other cultures. Boeing is in the process of sending United States employees to Africa and other foreign countries to train Human Resource Generalist to run the international offices.
Retention
According to Danny W. Avery in Recruiting for Retention “stated the greatest need to every human being is to feel needed or appreciated. Recognizing and meeting that need within the retention programs for your workplace will go very far in satisfying retention goals” (p.1). A good retention strategy should include competitive wages and fringe benefits, flexible work schedule, employee respect, horizontal and vertical communication, training, bonuses, new hire referral bonuses, and longevity. Boeing retention strategy has met all the above except longevity. Boeing has a cyclical business with mass hiring and later mass layoffs. The best strategy they can use is communicate the business plan with emphasis on how employees fit into the plan. Implement plans that consist of employee’s engagement at all levels of the organization. This will create an environment where employees feel trusted, welcome, and where people know their work matters. According to Dennis Travers in The Key To Successful Recruiting (2000) “…we must develop an organization in which people want to work and can take personal and professional pride in being a part of (i.e. Employer of Choice) (p.2)”. The employees are a corporation’s best recruiting and retention source.
In conclusion, having a recruitment plan that aligns with the company’s vision the organization will have a competitive advantage in the market.
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