Influence and culture

• Does your company consistently stay on top of current industry trends?
• Does your company send employees to key industry conferences or conventions?
• Does your company have name recognition within the industry?
• Are other people in the industry (i.e., your friends and colleagues) consistently trying to land a job with your company?
• Are you “chasing” other companies, or are other companies “chasing” you?

• Emphasizes quality communication—Miscommunication (or no communication at all) can lead to misunderstandings at best and the breakdown of relationships at worst.  The best companies foster communication, and they do it in a variety of different ways.
• Sets well-defined expectations—You won’t know what to do . . . if you don’t know what to do.  A company culture where each employee is certain of exactly what their job description entails, as well as what’s expected on individual projects, is a productive culture. 
• Has a mission statement and core values—A ship needs a rudder, after all.  These should be communicated and known by all employees. 
• Shows appreciation for the efforts of its employees—We’re talking about small tokens of appreciation, not necessarily awards that you hang on the wall.  This could include a verbal “pat on the back.” 
• Recognizes achievements—When efforts translate into quantifiable achievements (i.e., saved the company money, increased productivity, reached a sales goal, etc.), how does the company recognize that?  Okay, now I’m talking about awards that you hang on the wall. 
• Cultivates a mentoring atmosphere—Is the exchange of information and knowledge par for the course?  Are there people in the company you feel comfortable going to for information?  Mentoring is crucial in any business environment.

What about you?

Extrinsic vs. intrinsic

Engage, engage, engage

• Meet with them individually—Employees, especially star employees, crave one-on-one attention, for a number of reasons.  This is the first step toward engagement.  Set up a meeting with each of them and then follow the rest of the steps below.

• Discuss the expectations they have for their employment—Okay, you know what your expectations are, but what about theirs?  When you sit down with them, ask probing questions that will reveal their thoughts.  You might be surprised at what you discover.
• Build a plan together—This is crucial.  Not only are you setting goals and objectives that will involve the employee in the decision-making process, you’re instilling in them a sense of importance.  After all, if you’re willing to sit down with them and construct a plan for the future, then they must have considerable worth as an employee.
• Recognize and reward—Verbal recognition and appreciation goes a long way . . . and it costs nothing.  (You don’t have to call accounting to authorize a compliment.)  In addition, make sure that your star candidates are rewarded on a consistent basis, as well, with amenities like awards, special privileges, etc. 
• Keep them engaged—it’s not enough to do this just one time.  These meetings should be a regular and consistent part of your company’s culture.  Successful people are always looking for engagement.  If they don’t find it with you, they’ll seek it elsewhere.

The need to know