The process of first attracting and then keeping your employee engaged is crucial to having a productive work force and to the bottom line of your business. A happy and properly attached employee will be a good representative for the company in terms of services to clients. A poorly thought out recruitment process will not only alienate your new hire but cost the company big dollars in terms of investment in training, the hiring of yet another employee, and lost productivity.

Attracting the new hire begins at the recruitment and pre-employment stages by making the employee feel secure in their new job. It continues throughout the employment with engagement of the employee and making them feel they have value. It is important that managers or team leaders be aware that it is critical that employees be happy at work and have a good attitude. You can hire someone based solely on skills, but you cannot teach a good attitude. By hiring people with a good attitude and engaging them properly, you can teach them the competencies they need to do their job and retain them. A hiring manager must look at each applicant or current employee on an individual basis and develop training according to the needs of that individual.

Some effective ways to attract and engage an employee are:

•Be sure to get the employee on board as soon as they accept an offer. Don’t leave them feeling abandoned in the meantime. They need to know what to expect so as not to be disillusioned when they arrive.

•Involve others in the induction process by assigning a mentor or buddy to the new employee.

•Use employee satisfaction surveys regularly and evaluate the feedback to improve what is lacking.

•Communicate regularly with employees to deal with issues or concerns.

•Ensure that managers know what the process of engagement entails and that it is used for feedback rather than as a “big stick”.

•Allow employees and management to obtain and evaluate feedback from clients or customers. Let them hear for themselves about a customer’s experience with the company.

Every employee wants to feel secure and valued in their job. It’s human nature. These feelings directly affect their level of commitment and how much value they are willing to give the company. As managers and leaders, we could all be guilty. Being in a huge rush to fill a position and later not having clear, transparent communication does not make for a good start. Learning the basics of employee engagement practices will ensure a happy and productive employee, which in turn will win satisfied customers or clients, building your brand in the process.