People Pulse :: February 2005

Dear HR managers and business owners,

As the local weather has recently reminded us yet again, it's all about being prepared.

With the BC economy back on the rise, the job market is going to open up, and that can only mean one thing: stronger competition for quality employees. And that goes not only for the ones you'll need to hire to manage growth, but for the employees you already have as well. It's at times like this that effective recruitment and retention strategies are most crucial.

And as we've said before in People Pulse, retention isn't something at which you can just throw money: income usually isn't the primary factor in determining if someone's going to stay with a company or move on to another opportunity. In "Imagination: Your Best Tool for Retention?", you'll see how some companies are reaping the rewards of thinking outside the box on this important issue.

And think about this: according to a psychologist at the University of Cardiff, January 24th is, statistically speaking, the most depressing day of the year, so it's barely February, and already the worst is over.

Bob Murray
Partner, People First Solutions

P.S. Click below to learn more about
our Lunch and Learn Workshop

» Why top talent leave organizations «
and what you can do about it.

Poll Question: Which of the following issue is the greatest contributor to stress in your workplace?

Article: Peeling Back the Onion?

Article: Imagination: Your Best Tool for Retention?

Workshop:
Why top talent leave organizations and what you can do about it.

Success Stories: Sidney T. Bennett, CHRP

Demotivations: Risks

Canadian Firms Open their Wallets for Tsunami Relief

The Conference Board of Canada surveyed 139 of its members in January and 86 percent said they have made or plan to make contributions to relief efforts. Of these contributors:

31 per cent are matching employees' donations;
26.2 per cent are making stand-alone contributions; and
42.9 per cent are matching employees' donations and making stand-alone contributions.

- Source: The Conference Board of Canada

A Business Case for Retaining Top Talent:
Why top talent leave organizations and what you can do about it.

As BC’s economy continues to heat up, looming labour shortages means organizations that recruit and retain successfully will have an enormous competitive edge. This briefing on February 22nd will review what’s working in employee retention in BC, what isn’t, and how to generate the most impact in your company with limited resources.

What you will learn in 50 minutes:

What changes are occurring in BC’s talent landscape?
Is there a financial case for employee retention?
How can recruiting be vital to the retention process?
What are the main reasons employees leave organizations?
What retention strategies have the best success right now?

Presenter: Paul Gibbons, Partner, People First Solutions Inc.

Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Time: Networking and lunch: 11:45am
Briefing: 12:00 - 12:50pm

Location: Suite 222, 1075 W. Georgia Street, Vancouver

Fee: $40 - includes lunch and handout

Space is limited to the first 12 participants to register for this briefing. Reserve your seat by calling 604-684-2288.

Once you vote, you will see current poll results.
Final poll results will be posted in next month's issue.


	Recruiting Peeling Back the Onion? What does "peeling back the onion" mean to you? For you who have not heard the expression, it refers to learning more about something or someone by peeling back the layers. It's unfortunate that we don't do a very good job of peeling back the onion when it comes to hiring people. How do you go about peeling back the onion so you can truly learn about the candidates you interview?			Retaining Imagination: Your Best Tool for Retention? Ask chief executive Candace Bryan how her company manages to have such a low turnover rate, and she won't mention its excellent health benefits or its highly competitive wages. Instead she'll point to the photos that line the hallways of her company. The pictures of her 288 employees posing happily with symbols of their favorite outside activities not only boosted morale but also made the company more inviting to prospective hires.


	"InterWrap recently enlisted the help of People First Solutions in an important search, and we are very pleased with the results . . . {they} worked with us very closely to determine what we needed, and located and reviewed numerous candidates until they found the right fit." Sidney T. Bennett, CHRP Corporate Manager, Human Resources InterWrap Inc.


	© Copyright 2005, Despair Inc.


	People First Solutions Inc. #220 - 1075 West Georgia St. Vancouver, BC CANADA V6E 3C9 Telephone: 604.684.2288 Facsimile: 604.684.2265 info@peoplefirstsolutions.com		People Pulse :: Subscription Information Click Here to forward this issue to a friend. Not currently a subscriber? Register now to receive future issues. We respect your privacy. © Copyright 2005, People First Solutions Inc. All logos, and names are the copyrights of the respective owners.