Lately I have been interviewing many potential employees as we continue to grow the p2p team. During almost every interview I am asked “why do you work here?” and “what’s kept you here so long?”, and it got me thinking – what is it really that attracts people to join your organisation, and importantly what makes them stay? Reflecting on my own personal experience and the thousands of candidates I have interviewed and placed over the years, I have realised there are common themes that come up repeatedly.
Lead don’t manage It’s often said that people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. Your leadership style, and the way you ‘manage’ your people will play a big role in whether they want to start, and stay, working with you. The best managers I have had lead by example. They do what they say, say what they mean, and treat everyone fairly and with respect. Trusting your people, having clear expectations, and being encouraging and accepting of everyone’s ideas will get you a long way.
Remember that we are all human Yes, work is important, and yes sometimes that deadline just has to met; but believe me, you will get more of out of your team if you give a little when they are having a tough time. Kids get sick, relationships break down, and sometimes life just gets on top of even the best performer. If you treat your people well, and give them flexibility when they need it, you will get loyalty, commitment and hard work in return!
Set high standards and call bull#@% out A wise man once told me that the standards you set are the ones you walk by. I can’t tell you the number of times I have interviewed really talented people who are looking to leave a company out of frustration that not all of their peers are held to the same standard. People want to work with high performers and they want to trust that those around them will work as hard as they do. Set high (but realistic) expectations, and nip any bad behaviour in the bud.
Know your WHY and communicate this clearly There is a famous talk by Simon Sinek
about the power of understanding and communicating your why.
This is critical to your sales success, but I also think it is essential to attracting and retaining the best people for your organisation. Take the time to really think about your ‘’why’ and incorporate this into everything you do. You are much more likely to get people to stick with you for the long term if they are aligned to your mission and values.
This list is by no means exhaustive but these things come up so frequently in my experience that they have to be significant. So I would encourage you to take a moment to reflect on your own organisation and experience, is there any room for improvement in these areas? After all, everyone wins when you get the right people, in the right organisation for the long term.
