In the midst of today’s roiling labor market, one good way to work to retain employees is to remember why they became your employees to begin with —that is, they have wants and needs, and their employment enables them to meet those wants and needs.
As employers, you’re useful to them as they are to you. When your organization ceases to be useful or becomes less useful than another employer, that’s when employees may begin looking for their next best opportunity. 
Here is a set of best practices to help form a solid basis for long-term collaboration and shared success:
Talk with and listen to your employees about what knowledge, skills and abilities they think would help them do their job better or make additional contributions to the organization.
Provide coaching and training opportunities that bring value to your organization and the professional development of your employees.
Involve employees in company initiatives that make use of their skills or teach them new ones.
Make work meaningful and highlight the good that your organization does. This is especially important if the typical job duties of an employee feel mundane or uninspiring.
Encourage social interactions among workers – whether in the office or virtually. The workplace can still be a great place to make friends and build community.
Consider offering bonuses when your company meets its financial goals and when employees meet their individual and team goals. And if possible within budget constraints, offer raises to account for cost-of-living increases, job performance and individual accomplishments.
By aligning employees’ individual goals and success with organizational goals and success, employers can give their employees a big incentive to stay, improve their skills and put those skills to good use in their organizations.
impactAction: If you’d like to learn more about implementing an employee retention program, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or call 443-741-3900.
The HoCo Women’s Leadership Conference Set for May 17 at Live! Casino + Hotel Maryland
The Howard County (MD) Chamber’s in-person Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC) 2022 is set to take place Tuesday, May 17 (9:00am-4:00pm) at Live! Casino & Hotel, Hanover, MD! 
We’re proud to be a Sponsor of this year’s dynamic leadership-focused event – plus, impactHR’s Kelly Mitchell is Co-Chair of this year’s WLC Planning Committee.
The 2022 Women’s Leadership Conference theme is “Herstory: Changing the Game”) and includes as keynote presenters: Dr. Daria J. Willis, President, Howard Community College; Jennifer Grondahl, Senior Vice President, Community Development & Communications – Baltimore Orioles; and Precious L. Williams, Founder & CEO – Perfect Pitches by Precious, LLC. Register today!
Recruiting: New Ideas on How to Improve Your Job Postings
How can you optimize the first impression a prospective job applicant has with your company or organization? Consider making sure your job postings convey:
- Why someone would want to work for your company
- What distinguishes your workplace from others
- What’s exciting about your mission and vision
- What you have to offer
- What the job is and requires
Here are a few ways to get better results from your job postings:
Highlight your company or organization’s strengths. A job posting is a sales pitch that conveys a good sense of your work culture. Include information about your core benefits (e.g., insurance, retirement plan) plus key perks such as unlimited PTO and remote work options.
List the minimum requirements and essential functions of the job. You can also include the full job description if you have room for it. The requirements and functions you mention should be accurate and clear.
Consider including the pay range. In select situations, posting the pay range of an open position can bring in 30% more applicants, according to recent research data. This move may also save you and potential applicants time by allowing them to self-select out of the running if the range is too low or if it indicates you’re looking for a more experienced employee.
Analyze the results of previous job posting platforms, especially if you paid for them. Consider not only the upfront fee, but also whether you received a decent number of applications specifically from that source. Were the candidates qualified? Have you ever hired candidates from this source?
As an overall reminder, it’s critical that a potential job applicant’s first impression of your organization be an informative and compelling one.
impactAction: If you’d like to learn more optimizing your employee recruitment strategies, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or call 443-741-3900.
USCIS Accepts H-1B Applications Beginning March 1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced the initial registration period for FY 2023 H-1B visa petitions opened on March 1 and runs through 12:00pm ET on March 18.
H-1B visas allow an employer to hire a foreign national in a “specialty occupation” or a position that requires a bachelor’s degree in a particular field.
In addition, prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners or their representatives are required to use a myUSCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee for each registration submitted on behalf of each beneficiary. Read more.
impactAction: If you’d like to learn more navigating the H-1B process for your company, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or call 443-741-3900.
Reopening Planning Tips from the impactHR Team
Are you looking at various ways to bring your employees back to your office or workplace? Our impactHR team provides some quick reopening insights based on daily work with our clients representing companies and organizations across industry sectors:
Kelly Mitchell, Principal: “Train your managers as they will be the first to have to respond to employees’ fear, anxiety, stress and fatigue. What resources or support will you provide them?”
Li Na Goins, Senior HR Consultant, Client Services: “In this fast-paced situation, employers need to have more frequent communication to stay connected with their employees. Ask for frequent feedback as to what is working or not working to make any necessary tweaks.”
Denise Powell, Senior HR Consultant, Client Services: “Communicate! While your employees are back to work, the environment is not necessarily back to normal. Stay in tune with your employees and anticipate what questions or concerns they may have. Provide information, acknowledge their concerns and be transparent if you don’t have the answers.”
impactAction: If you have questions about reopening your workplace, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or 443-741-3900.
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