Hello,
I am the founding member of a mid-size IT company (~80 personnel). I am not an HR guru. So, here's my question to you:
Other than keeping the new hires motivated and on-boarding them properly, what can be done to ensure they do not abscond? I have seen employees join and vanish within a month, citing any number of reasons, none of which actually turned out to be true. We have tried keeping cheques for 2 months' salary as security, and that process has turned into a joke since a lot of new hires resist it and leave. If we tell them about this policy at the time of shortlisting, a lot of people don't even turn up for the final interview (so my HR team tells me).
Now we are contemplating keeping originals as security - does this help? Is it a stick big enough, and will it drive people away like the cheque does?
Do bonds help? From what I have been reading on this site, bonds only help if some sort of training was provided. Does training given by me on our product line, product architecture count? Can internal trainings be used as a means to show up as training, and hence associate a cost to them, add a tangible financial loss metric to support the bond?
Thanks,
Padam
From India, Delhi
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1I am the founding member of a mid-size IT company (~80 personnel). I am not an HR guru. So, here's my question to you:
Other than keeping the new hires motivated and on-boarding them properly, what can be done to ensure they do not abscond? I have seen employees join and vanish within a month, citing any number of reasons, none of which actually turned out to be true. We have tried keeping cheques for 2 months' salary as security, and that process has turned into a joke since a lot of new hires resist it and leave. If we tell them about this policy at the time of shortlisting, a lot of people don't even turn up for the final interview (so my HR team tells me).
Now we are contemplating keeping originals as security - does this help? Is it a stick big enough, and will it drive people away like the cheque does?
Do bonds help? From what I have been reading on this site, bonds only help if some sort of training was provided. Does training given by me on our product line, product architecture count? Can internal trainings be used as a means to show up as training, and hence associate a cost to them, add a tangible financial loss metric to support the bond?
Thanks,
Padam
From India, Delhi
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What is the root cause that new joiners are absconding? Are they joining a bigger company than yours? Is career growth available to all the new joiners and all employees of your organization? Is the "Salary" a major reason for absconding new joiners? Is the "Organization Climate/Culture" supportive to new joiners?
From India, Pune
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From India, Pune
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Hello Prashant,
It's difficult to assess the situation when an employee absconds. There are no exit interviews, just a phone call where the reason is usually a bluff. There are other employees who have remained motivated and worked for years. Salary may not be a reason since we pay top dollar. Work culture, being a small company, is very flat. Some like it, some don't. Some expect big company benefits because they didn't really understand what they are getting into. Every failure and success is magnified in every way - again some like it, some don't.
It takes a lot to hire now - we have to sift through thousands of resumes, meet a few hundred, and then hire 10. Then when an employee absconds after working for two weeks, suddenly they vanish. This is what I wish to curtail. Is the cheque, original certificates, or bonds means to do this?
Thanks, Padam
From India, Delhi
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It's difficult to assess the situation when an employee absconds. There are no exit interviews, just a phone call where the reason is usually a bluff. There are other employees who have remained motivated and worked for years. Salary may not be a reason since we pay top dollar. Work culture, being a small company, is very flat. Some like it, some don't. Some expect big company benefits because they didn't really understand what they are getting into. Every failure and success is magnified in every way - again some like it, some don't.
It takes a lot to hire now - we have to sift through thousands of resumes, meet a few hundred, and then hire 10. Then when an employee absconds after working for two weeks, suddenly they vanish. This is what I wish to curtail. Is the cheque, original certificates, or bonds means to do this?
Thanks, Padam
From India, Delhi
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Hello Prashant, It's difficult to assess the situation when an employee absconds. There are no exit interviews, just a phone call where the reason is usually a bluff. There are other employees who have remained motivated and worked for years. Salary may not be a reason since we pay top dollar. Work culture, being a small company, is very flat. Some like it, some don't. Some expect big company benefits because they didn't really understand what they are getting into. Every failure and success is magnified in every way - again some like it, some don't. It takes a lot to hire now - we have to sift through thousands of resumes, meet a few hundred, and then hire 10. Then when an employee absconds after working for two weeks, suddenly they vanish. This is what I wish to curtail. Is the cheque, original certificates, or bonds a means to do this? Thanks, Padam
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Does it mean "Demotivated" employee who is not productive to you; Do you want to keep him/her? If no; try to motivate employees. How to motivate & what employee are expecting? The answer you will get after in continuous touch with the employees? Cheque, Bond, Original Papers can only keep the body with you but motivated employees can bring profit to you...? Choice is yours...!!
Regarding cutting down recruitment time, you can start "Employee Referral Scheme" so new employees will be knowing the organization & its rules & regulations in advance. This is my experience...!!
[QUOTE=padam.singh;2048662]
From India, Pune
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Does it mean "Demotivated" employee who is not productive to you; Do you want to keep him/her? If no; try to motivate employees. How to motivate & what employee are expecting? The answer you will get after in continuous touch with the employees? Cheque, Bond, Original Papers can only keep the body with you but motivated employees can bring profit to you...? Choice is yours...!!
Regarding cutting down recruitment time, you can start "Employee Referral Scheme" so new employees will be knowing the organization & its rules & regulations in advance. This is my experience...!!
[QUOTE=padam.singh;2048662]
From India, Pune
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I can understand that some employees can feel demotivated in a small setup/high pressure. You have to carry your own weight after all. We already have an employee referral, and that works, but the numbers are pretty low.
I also agree that bonds, cheques, and papers are a means to keep the body there, but I am looking to ensure that when an employee knows we will enforce this, at least they think twice before joining. I have just realized one thing right now - if we ensure that in the first interaction with the employee we tell them about these policies, they would not proceed if they see it as a problem. I am trying to weed out those candidates who are desperate for a job and apply in 10 places and leave as soon as they get the next better position within the same month. And the definition of better ranges from more pay to closer to home to a bigger company.
And thanks for the motivation question - I think once I answer that for myself, at least cases of absconding don't happen due to lack of motivational factors.
Thanks,
Padam
From India, Delhi
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I also agree that bonds, cheques, and papers are a means to keep the body there, but I am looking to ensure that when an employee knows we will enforce this, at least they think twice before joining. I have just realized one thing right now - if we ensure that in the first interaction with the employee we tell them about these policies, they would not proceed if they see it as a problem. I am trying to weed out those candidates who are desperate for a job and apply in 10 places and leave as soon as they get the next better position within the same month. And the definition of better ranges from more pay to closer to home to a bigger company.
And thanks for the motivation question - I think once I answer that for myself, at least cases of absconding don't happen due to lack of motivational factors.
Thanks,
Padam
From India, Delhi
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Retaining employees is not magic, but it would come over the period of some time. If you keep maintaining "Good Practices," I am sure in the long run, the number of "Absconding Cases" will come down. I would suggest imparting a career growth plan to employees before they join so that they can consider joining our organization.
From India, Pune
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From India, Pune
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Dear Padam,
Firstly, you will always have employees leaving for various reasons such as better salaries or better work environments. I am a firm believer that people do not leave companies; they leave managers. So, what do you do when employees join? Do you treat them like you treat your customers? Are there any induction programs for employees? Do you have a staff handbook that outlines the company's culture? You don't have to be a large organization to have staff handbooks. Do you have someone who makes new employees feel welcome when they join, or are they just thrown into the job on the first day?
I have worked in a corporate environment for many years, and now I am in a small family environment. However, I still ensure that my employees feel welcome. Remember, first impressions last. Just as employees are assessed by you, they also assess the employer in the same way.
Regards,
Sadiya
From South Africa, Roodepoort
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Firstly, you will always have employees leaving for various reasons such as better salaries or better work environments. I am a firm believer that people do not leave companies; they leave managers. So, what do you do when employees join? Do you treat them like you treat your customers? Are there any induction programs for employees? Do you have a staff handbook that outlines the company's culture? You don't have to be a large organization to have staff handbooks. Do you have someone who makes new employees feel welcome when they join, or are they just thrown into the job on the first day?
I have worked in a corporate environment for many years, and now I am in a small family environment. However, I still ensure that my employees feel welcome. Remember, first impressions last. Just as employees are assessed by you, they also assess the employer in the same way.
Regards,
Sadiya
From South Africa, Roodepoort
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Hi, Mr. Padam,
I went through your entire post regarding the retention of your employees. Certainly, Prashant and Sadiya have provided some valuable insights in this regard. I hope these inputs might assist you. I suggest discussing with your HR department and asking them to analyze the reasons for high attrition through feedback, etc. Subsequently, focus on developing an action plan based on identified areas for improvement within the company. Set deadlines and work towards them. While there may not be an immediate shift in such scenarios, attrition should gradually decrease by following the action plan.
1. Reasons why employees leave an organization:
- Limited growth opportunities
- Job not meeting employee expectations
- Lack of recognition or appreciation
- Stress from overwork and work-life imbalance
- Limited promotional prospects
- Perceived unfair pay compared to external options
- Dissatisfaction with work responsibilities
- Heavy workloads
- Conflicts or issues with supervisors
- Insufficient training and development opportunities
- Undefined growth paths within the organization
2. Strategies to retain employees:
- Encourage open communication for employees to freely express their opinions
- Foster a fair and equitable work environment
- Ensure job security and financial stability for employees
- Provide opportunities for continuous learning to prevent monotony
- Respect individual privacy in the workplace
- Maintain transparent communication between employees and management
- Treat every employee equally regardless of their position
- Recognize and reward deserving employees with incentives and perks
- Involve employees in decision-making processes
- Offer competitive benefits tailored to employees' skills and needs
- Maintain transparency in reporting relationships, job descriptions, and key result areas
Regards,
Anurag Saxena
From India, New Delhi
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I went through your entire post regarding the retention of your employees. Certainly, Prashant and Sadiya have provided some valuable insights in this regard. I hope these inputs might assist you. I suggest discussing with your HR department and asking them to analyze the reasons for high attrition through feedback, etc. Subsequently, focus on developing an action plan based on identified areas for improvement within the company. Set deadlines and work towards them. While there may not be an immediate shift in such scenarios, attrition should gradually decrease by following the action plan.
1. Reasons why employees leave an organization:
- Limited growth opportunities
- Job not meeting employee expectations
- Lack of recognition or appreciation
- Stress from overwork and work-life imbalance
- Limited promotional prospects
- Perceived unfair pay compared to external options
- Dissatisfaction with work responsibilities
- Heavy workloads
- Conflicts or issues with supervisors
- Insufficient training and development opportunities
- Undefined growth paths within the organization
2. Strategies to retain employees:
- Encourage open communication for employees to freely express their opinions
- Foster a fair and equitable work environment
- Ensure job security and financial stability for employees
- Provide opportunities for continuous learning to prevent monotony
- Respect individual privacy in the workplace
- Maintain transparent communication between employees and management
- Treat every employee equally regardless of their position
- Recognize and reward deserving employees with incentives and perks
- Involve employees in decision-making processes
- Offer competitive benefits tailored to employees' skills and needs
- Maintain transparency in reporting relationships, job descriptions, and key result areas
Regards,
Anurag Saxena
From India, New Delhi
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Hello, Mr. Padam Singh,
Please find my attributes below:
I am sure your above statement answers something - an employee absconds because they are not motivated enough.
Leaving an organization in just one month's time is a very serious issue. Did you try to first find out what is wrong with your firm? Why do people not want to work with you? What reasons do they state in their resignation or exit interviews (if any), or do they just simply abscond?
(I hope you know that absconding is different from leaving the organization. A person is titled as absconded if he doesn't turn up one fine day to work without any information about his desire to work or not.)
Thankfully there is no case against you. This is reportable. You can withhold someone's salary. It can be brought to the labor commissioner, and things would go from bad to worse.
Please do not think I am trying to scare you, just letting you know the reality.
Again, you cannot retain any original documents with you. The person can lodge a formal complaint against this. Just one police case and this would bring your business down. Think twice before implementing such policies, and if you are already practicing this, I would advise you to stop this as soon as possible. Hand over the originals before you would be liable to explanations.
You are very correct that service bonds are viable only if formal training is given.
Training invoices are to be raised.
About on-the-job training and opportunity cost, well, you are doing business and are required to take considerable risk, you cannot transfer the risk amount to your employees.
To be really honest, the more you try to tie your people to you, the more they would run away.
If you keep a cow tied to the veranda, she would try all her means to set herself free because she won't trust you and your motives to tie her down.
Instead, plan retention policies.
Let me correct you that retention policies do not mean get-glued-to-my-firm policy.
Instead, offer a helping hand.
Check if the compensation you are offering to your staff is industry-normalized.
Check if your employees are free to bring their issues to you (If they do not bring issues to you, it means they don't trust you).
Check if they are happy.
Ask them what would enhance their engagement levels.
What are your workdays and work hours?
Are there any policies that require them to run away?
How is your staff?
How is the manager?
It is very easy to blame someone for their poor performance, but we would never look at our responsibilities if we need some correction.
A simple example, if a teacher does not teach a student or does not solve their doubts, she has no right to say that students are not inclined to study. It is a teacher's job to make study interesting; study is never interesting.
Likewise, no one likes to work. But if we have a supportive manager, good work culture, normalized pay, better opportunities, and good colleagues, we are motivated to perform better.
Hope it helped.
From India, Mumbai
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Please find my attributes below:
I am sure your above statement answers something - an employee absconds because they are not motivated enough.
Leaving an organization in just one month's time is a very serious issue. Did you try to first find out what is wrong with your firm? Why do people not want to work with you? What reasons do they state in their resignation or exit interviews (if any), or do they just simply abscond?
(I hope you know that absconding is different from leaving the organization. A person is titled as absconded if he doesn't turn up one fine day to work without any information about his desire to work or not.)
Thankfully there is no case against you. This is reportable. You can withhold someone's salary. It can be brought to the labor commissioner, and things would go from bad to worse.
Please do not think I am trying to scare you, just letting you know the reality.
Again, you cannot retain any original documents with you. The person can lodge a formal complaint against this. Just one police case and this would bring your business down. Think twice before implementing such policies, and if you are already practicing this, I would advise you to stop this as soon as possible. Hand over the originals before you would be liable to explanations.
You are very correct that service bonds are viable only if formal training is given.
Training invoices are to be raised.
About on-the-job training and opportunity cost, well, you are doing business and are required to take considerable risk, you cannot transfer the risk amount to your employees.
To be really honest, the more you try to tie your people to you, the more they would run away.
If you keep a cow tied to the veranda, she would try all her means to set herself free because she won't trust you and your motives to tie her down.
Instead, plan retention policies.
Let me correct you that retention policies do not mean get-glued-to-my-firm policy.
Instead, offer a helping hand.
Check if the compensation you are offering to your staff is industry-normalized.
Check if your employees are free to bring their issues to you (If they do not bring issues to you, it means they don't trust you).
Check if they are happy.
Ask them what would enhance their engagement levels.
What are your workdays and work hours?
Are there any policies that require them to run away?
How is your staff?
How is the manager?
It is very easy to blame someone for their poor performance, but we would never look at our responsibilities if we need some correction.
A simple example, if a teacher does not teach a student or does not solve their doubts, she has no right to say that students are not inclined to study. It is a teacher's job to make study interesting; study is never interesting.
Likewise, no one likes to work. But if we have a supportive manager, good work culture, normalized pay, better opportunities, and good colleagues, we are motivated to perform better.
Hope it helped.
From India, Mumbai
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I can understand your concern and dilemma, but I do want to share that bonds, delaying salary, keeping certificates, etc., all negative forms of correcting behavior may not work. Young employees have a choice today, and the onus of creating the environment within the company, educating, and sensitizing employees about desirable behavior lies with the management team. You may start with a good induction program giving new employees a view of the organization, growth plans, working environment, career prospects, etc., followed by managers' capability building in keeping the employees motivated and engaged. Then, of course, the reward, recognition, development, and growth. There is no shortcut here, and several things need to be done to get results. Even large reputed companies have faced these issues, and hence it boils down to basics - managers' capability in engaging with their teams is of paramount importance and ensuring a certain standard of treatment. Having said that, it is not that employees need to be handled with kid gloves; one can be assertive in clarifying expectations as well.
Prashant Parashar
From India, Pune
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Prashant Parashar
From India, Pune
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For all those who answered, a big thank you! I think I have a way forward with inputs. It's easy to say "Keep employees motivated," but it's not something a single person can achieve alone; it has to be an organizational mantra.
Thanks,
Padam
From India, Delhi
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Thanks,
Padam
From India, Delhi
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It is a well-known fact that in the IT industry, the turnover rate is very high. Even industry majors like Infosys, WIPRO, CTS, and TCS are no exception. These days, youngsters are restless, impatient, and fast; they want to learn everything, achieve everything, grow faster than others, and reach heights in the shortest span of time. No wonder then that a startup small company like yours is facing the kind of situation you have explained above.
There is no magic wand to retain people, nor can you hold a gun to their head! There are a lot of motivators available - both monetary and non-monetary. You can try out various methodologies (like treatment for a cold!) and find the one that works best for you. Many professional friends have given choices to you. You can only try to reduce attrition but can't stop it altogether. One choice could be to hire freshers, train them, and retain them by getting a letter of undertaking that they will stay with you for a minimum period of say two years or so. A letter of undertaking is a different terminology for a bond! When opportunities are abundant, people tend to move out for various reasons. It is a question of demand and supply. There are also companies where employees are sitting on the bench. Perhaps if you recruit freshers, you can keep your costs down and at the same time, motivate them to stay with you for a longer duration by offering various loans and allowances. Try experimenting.
Murphy's law works everywhere!
Best wishes
From India, Bengaluru
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There is no magic wand to retain people, nor can you hold a gun to their head! There are a lot of motivators available - both monetary and non-monetary. You can try out various methodologies (like treatment for a cold!) and find the one that works best for you. Many professional friends have given choices to you. You can only try to reduce attrition but can't stop it altogether. One choice could be to hire freshers, train them, and retain them by getting a letter of undertaking that they will stay with you for a minimum period of say two years or so. A letter of undertaking is a different terminology for a bond! When opportunities are abundant, people tend to move out for various reasons. It is a question of demand and supply. There are also companies where employees are sitting on the bench. Perhaps if you recruit freshers, you can keep your costs down and at the same time, motivate them to stay with you for a longer duration by offering various loans and allowances. Try experimenting.
Murphy's law works everywhere!
Best wishes
From India, Bengaluru
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This seems to be a big problem in India, and I would be interested to know why. However, for starters, you need to look at your recruitment and selection process. If you do a search here on Cite for postings by me, you will find my thoughts on this matter, and also what I call "Aussiejohn's 6 Easy Steps to Recruitment and Selection. Getting the right people for the job starts right back at the beginning of the hiring process. You also need to find out why people are leaving and FIX the problems.
From Australia, Melbourne
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From Australia, Melbourne
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Hi John,
For candidates who leave with an exit interview and complete the handover, the usual reasons for leaving are either moving to a bigger company with better benefits or higher pay. I respect that, and it's a free country, so they can do that.
What I have noticed is that the ones who leave without a trace are those who have offers from other companies at the same time. They treat this as a trial, but it's not a trial for us. It takes a lot to hire the right candidate. It's difficult to judge who will jump ship, so my strategy is to hire two when one is needed. This reduces my risk.
At an organizational level in my company, motivation, gap analysis, KRA, and KPI setting are continuous processes. We are making improvements every day, but some professionals are just unprofessional, and you can't help that.
Thanks,
Padam
From India, Delhi
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For candidates who leave with an exit interview and complete the handover, the usual reasons for leaving are either moving to a bigger company with better benefits or higher pay. I respect that, and it's a free country, so they can do that.
What I have noticed is that the ones who leave without a trace are those who have offers from other companies at the same time. They treat this as a trial, but it's not a trial for us. It takes a lot to hire the right candidate. It's difficult to judge who will jump ship, so my strategy is to hire two when one is needed. This reduces my risk.
At an organizational level in my company, motivation, gap analysis, KRA, and KPI setting are continuous processes. We are making improvements every day, but some professionals are just unprofessional, and you can't help that.
Thanks,
Padam
From India, Delhi
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Hello Mr. Padam,
I appreciate the inputs offered by our seniors and am trying to understand your problem. As rightly mentioned by Mr. Sundaram, today's generation is impatient and wants to grow in a short span of time.
The better strategy, I think, would be to judge the mentality of the person during the interview – observe their overall behavior, ambitions, goals, and mindset. Are they work or performance-oriented, or are they money-minded? This will help in evaluating their appointment from a stability point of view.
This approach may not work in all cases or every time, but it can provide insight into the problem and at least reduce the percentage of absconding.
All the best!
Regards,
Vaishalee Parkhi
From India, Pune
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I appreciate the inputs offered by our seniors and am trying to understand your problem. As rightly mentioned by Mr. Sundaram, today's generation is impatient and wants to grow in a short span of time.
The better strategy, I think, would be to judge the mentality of the person during the interview – observe their overall behavior, ambitions, goals, and mindset. Are they work or performance-oriented, or are they money-minded? This will help in evaluating their appointment from a stability point of view.
This approach may not work in all cases or every time, but it can provide insight into the problem and at least reduce the percentage of absconding.
All the best!
Regards,
Vaishalee Parkhi
From India, Pune
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Dear Mr. Padam Singh,
I need to firstly acknowledge the fact that you are expereinced, and however, epericenced I may be, I do not think I can advise you, but I can certainly share my thoughts, from what I have learnt being in circumstances and situations like you've been into and stated.
Let me open this with a word of appreciation especially to you for taking the bold step of putting up a company and that too with a strength of 80 personnel (though you call it mid-size, I'll be happy to call it an SME). You know and everyone in the industry knows software people are the most pampered lot in the world.
Next let me give you another fact that can encourage you, and that is - most companies that have grown big, or growing big have all started just like you did, but the difference is in those days these jobs into a new area were exicitng, interesting and challenging. Not that hese aren't any more interesting or challenging, but the fact is you are in the same arena of Big Players - etc. You swim in the same pool as IBM, Microsoft, HP, Google, Facebook, TCS, Infosys, HCL, Wipro Apple, and the so many other cool startups (Ex.IIT'ians, Ex-IISc's etc.) on the other side of town. Where are you in coparison to that? Remember all the companies that have been there for a while now are ever-expanding. Technology companies, from Boston to Bengaluru, Silicon Valley to Indus Valeey, California to Kolkata, Dallas to Delhi, don’t just sit on the talent they have. They create positions to scoop up whomever they deem valuable. Don’t get tricked into thinking geography will help you, or that monolithic companies don’t share the same market with you. You’re wrong. Believe in yourself that you directly compete with the most exciting technology companies in the world. Technology’s accelerating evolution creates increasing demand for these engineers every year, by companies who didn’t even know they needed software engineers a year ago.
Try creating value for your product and sell the story that it was a creation of those invloved with you. But make sure it is a belieable and a convincing story. The value of quality software engineers can’t be ignored. If you deal with technology, you owe them everything. They build your product, your work processes, or both in most cases.If you need to find one, first understand their environment.
So my first submission : Believe that you are one among the best, sell them a future, show them the big picture, try and mkae them a part of the big plan for the future.
Clear your mind. Understand exactly what you want to hire before you start looking. Start with the title.
I'm sure that you’re looking for a software engineers, not a web designers and not just a “computer guys.” At the risk of sounding obvious, you need to understand these different terms send different messages out to the job market. They may sound similar, but their differences appear quickly once you understand them. Popular opinion, at least amongst those taking the time to think about it, is that ‘engineers’ have some sort of computer science degree from accredited institutions. Programmers write code. So according to the pervasive opinion, all engineers are programmers, but not all programmers are engineers. An accredited degree doesn’t guarantee anything though, so don’t get too comfortable. Remember that plenty of mediocre graduates hold degrees, and plenty of self-taught whiz kids write brilliant code. Some software engineers design systems and come up with specs, while others implement those specs in code. Unfortunately, you can only determine these definitions and differences later in the hiring process through skill tests and interviews.
Don’t feel intimidated. It’ll be tough, but the reward will vastly outweigh the effort. A truly great engineer can contribute in ways you literally can’t imagine.
Now, how to get them... means - you must have a compelling story to tell and sell to lead to something tanglible, then comes the process - Sourcing, Screening, Interviewing and then Hiring.
You need to first decide what this position does for the company. Then, craft a job profile around it. Settle on the skills and requirements of the position, and then write an exciting (but truthful, damn it) job description. No clothes cutter description will do. If you want the real-deal software engineer, then you better have a fitting job description. You’re not aiming for accountants here. Create a pitch to make someone actually want the job.
Your job description should describe the things software engineers crave:
Autonomy —
Real and tangible perks —
Real challenges —
They want their work to matter. Nobody wants to test all day. In fact, they probably never want to test. Make their job matter. Not just on a small scale either. They want to do something significant and important to people. To the world. To anything.
Their work needs real challenges. Drop the superficial deadlines that don’t mean anything. Tell them how crazy their work could get and the deadlines they’ll face. You’ll get the people who want those challenges in return.
Learning environment — Most engineers want to improve their skills and learn new ones, whether those be new languages or new ways to design. Encourage a learning environment, and you’ll attract the engineers who appreciate improvement.
Pay them — Obvious, but these folks will demand a pretty penny. Paychecks aren’t the end-all though. If the job is stimulating, many super-talented engineers will happily take market rates for their work. But be warned: if you make the position out to be more than it is, the issue of compensation will become noticeably more apparent.
Once you finish the description, get it out of your hands and into those who will fill the position.
Screening
Do the first step well, and you’ll have adeep talent pool to screen (you’ll need it).
Let’s settle something right now. First, don’t fear open source. Second, and for all that is holy, don’t write off engineers without classic degrees. Don’t lose the ridiculous talent that lies in open source coding because you think they’re all evil hackers, too lazy to get ‘real’ jobs.
You can set up pre-screeners that will narrow your talent pool, but know exactly what to screen. Look for talent, work ethic and accomplishments. In other words, someone who has done impressive work, wants to continue doing impressive work and will do it for you.
Dig for accomplishments and then check them out. An effective interview will paint a decent picture of the applicant, but you need to come prepared. Use a set of preselected questions that reveal the applicant’s history and behaviors. You want to see if the candidate will fit YOUR culture and perform at your level.
Use your time together to showcase:
• the great open office space
• fun perks that employees get to use, like game systems
• relaxing areas
• exciting company culture
• friendly coworkers and nice people
(You should probably have these things. If you don’t, great software engineers will see right through you.)
Gather a team
Reach out to co-workers around your company before you start your search. Seek those who have an interest or knowledge base in hiring or software engineering. Have everyone settle on consistent questions that answer each interviewer’s questions.
Assign Roles
Try splitting the hiring duties among your team into categories that mirror the recruiting stages: Sourcing, Screening, Interviewing, and Hiring. Nobody should be afraid to share responsibilities.
hiring
Hopefully, you have a clear picture of an interested candidate by the end of your process.
The candidate should:
• match your job profile
• fulfill your job description and its duties
• fit in with your company culture
Extend an offer:
1. At least commensurate with the market salary
2. With benefits matching other top companies
3. Noticeably great percks that differentiate your company from others
You know what to do when the time comes for the final deal. Make them an offer that will make them feel valuable so they accept and happily look back years down the line.
Follow the Leader, Just Not the Same Path
The rub?
You need to attract great talent in unusual ways. Huge companies do a great job of expressing why engineers should want to work for them. You need to do the same, just differently.
Everyone needs talented software engineers, so offer something not at other companies. Make your company a place someone would actually choose over other places.
I elaborated on things that are the practices of some of the best known companies in the world, and this has evolved over the years.
Now coming to the aspects of bonds, cheques of two months etc. as someone right pointed out they are negative means, and one's which will cause more harm than now.
This comes to you from sheer experience of my being in the software industry since 1987 seeing changes in technology - systems programming (clippers, device to applications development), products that address domain specific demands. Evolution of new technologies such as Microsoft, with windows, and the emergence of Oracle as the Data Management experts replacing D-base etc., and then the arrival of Java opening up the Open Source technology realm, giving a run for its money to subscribed liscenced software, and finally the advent of Internet changing the face of the industry, are all things that seem like a dream wow! it's a journey by itself.
Conclusion: How do you go from where you are to where you want to be?
Focused, hard work is the real key. You go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us. And that's the price we will have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. Keep your eyes on the goal, and just keep taking the next step towards completing it. If you aren't sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better. Remember that we work to make a worthwhile contribution and to become something in life, to achieve something, and for all this work is a meand to get there, and that's life. I do not know anyone who has made it to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. Even if it will not always get people to the top, but it will get most pretty near to the top.
Passion therefore should be your driving force as an individual or a leader. You must be passionate about what you are doing and where you are heading to. A passionate person translates energy down to his peers as well, setting oneself to run an extra mile, stay an hour longer, fight a little harder for the cause.
You have to be progressive in all aspects of your life. No matter how slow you progress forward, remember never to live a day standing still or even walking backward. Progress can come in the form of renewing your thinking, developing of your communication skills, or even the rediscovering/refining of yourself. I say this because none of us are perfect, and what ever we may do we will never be perfect in most areas, but we must never stop striving to become better in them everyday because they will make us better as people.
And real change can be slow, as Lincoln states, ‘I walk slowly.’
Change happens a little by little each day; we will never see change in our lives, in our skills in the matter of days, but as we focus on just progressing and moving forward, in span of months to years, we’ll see ourselves nearer to our goals, more mature as a person.
So remember that progressiveness is important in your life; no matter how slow change may take, don’t lose heart and stop altogether.
And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.
Finally success is the result of passion, commitment, dedication, hard work, learning from failure, being a team player, and persistence. Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest. When you fail you learn from the mistakes you made and it motivates you to work even harder.
Just remember all things are difficult before they become easy.
Best wishes and warmest regards,
TSK. Raman
08374111185
From India, Hyderabad
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
I need to firstly acknowledge the fact that you are expereinced, and however, epericenced I may be, I do not think I can advise you, but I can certainly share my thoughts, from what I have learnt being in circumstances and situations like you've been into and stated.
Let me open this with a word of appreciation especially to you for taking the bold step of putting up a company and that too with a strength of 80 personnel (though you call it mid-size, I'll be happy to call it an SME). You know and everyone in the industry knows software people are the most pampered lot in the world.
Next let me give you another fact that can encourage you, and that is - most companies that have grown big, or growing big have all started just like you did, but the difference is in those days these jobs into a new area were exicitng, interesting and challenging. Not that hese aren't any more interesting or challenging, but the fact is you are in the same arena of Big Players - etc. You swim in the same pool as IBM, Microsoft, HP, Google, Facebook, TCS, Infosys, HCL, Wipro Apple, and the so many other cool startups (Ex.IIT'ians, Ex-IISc's etc.) on the other side of town. Where are you in coparison to that? Remember all the companies that have been there for a while now are ever-expanding. Technology companies, from Boston to Bengaluru, Silicon Valley to Indus Valeey, California to Kolkata, Dallas to Delhi, don’t just sit on the talent they have. They create positions to scoop up whomever they deem valuable. Don’t get tricked into thinking geography will help you, or that monolithic companies don’t share the same market with you. You’re wrong. Believe in yourself that you directly compete with the most exciting technology companies in the world. Technology’s accelerating evolution creates increasing demand for these engineers every year, by companies who didn’t even know they needed software engineers a year ago.
Try creating value for your product and sell the story that it was a creation of those invloved with you. But make sure it is a belieable and a convincing story. The value of quality software engineers can’t be ignored. If you deal with technology, you owe them everything. They build your product, your work processes, or both in most cases.If you need to find one, first understand their environment.
So my first submission : Believe that you are one among the best, sell them a future, show them the big picture, try and mkae them a part of the big plan for the future.
Clear your mind. Understand exactly what you want to hire before you start looking. Start with the title.
I'm sure that you’re looking for a software engineers, not a web designers and not just a “computer guys.” At the risk of sounding obvious, you need to understand these different terms send different messages out to the job market. They may sound similar, but their differences appear quickly once you understand them. Popular opinion, at least amongst those taking the time to think about it, is that ‘engineers’ have some sort of computer science degree from accredited institutions. Programmers write code. So according to the pervasive opinion, all engineers are programmers, but not all programmers are engineers. An accredited degree doesn’t guarantee anything though, so don’t get too comfortable. Remember that plenty of mediocre graduates hold degrees, and plenty of self-taught whiz kids write brilliant code. Some software engineers design systems and come up with specs, while others implement those specs in code. Unfortunately, you can only determine these definitions and differences later in the hiring process through skill tests and interviews.
Don’t feel intimidated. It’ll be tough, but the reward will vastly outweigh the effort. A truly great engineer can contribute in ways you literally can’t imagine.
Now, how to get them... means - you must have a compelling story to tell and sell to lead to something tanglible, then comes the process - Sourcing, Screening, Interviewing and then Hiring.
You need to first decide what this position does for the company. Then, craft a job profile around it. Settle on the skills and requirements of the position, and then write an exciting (but truthful, damn it) job description. No clothes cutter description will do. If you want the real-deal software engineer, then you better have a fitting job description. You’re not aiming for accountants here. Create a pitch to make someone actually want the job.
Your job description should describe the things software engineers crave:
Autonomy —
Real and tangible perks —
Real challenges —
They want their work to matter. Nobody wants to test all day. In fact, they probably never want to test. Make their job matter. Not just on a small scale either. They want to do something significant and important to people. To the world. To anything.
Their work needs real challenges. Drop the superficial deadlines that don’t mean anything. Tell them how crazy their work could get and the deadlines they’ll face. You’ll get the people who want those challenges in return.
Learning environment — Most engineers want to improve their skills and learn new ones, whether those be new languages or new ways to design. Encourage a learning environment, and you’ll attract the engineers who appreciate improvement.
Pay them — Obvious, but these folks will demand a pretty penny. Paychecks aren’t the end-all though. If the job is stimulating, many super-talented engineers will happily take market rates for their work. But be warned: if you make the position out to be more than it is, the issue of compensation will become noticeably more apparent.
Once you finish the description, get it out of your hands and into those who will fill the position.
Screening
Do the first step well, and you’ll have adeep talent pool to screen (you’ll need it).
Let’s settle something right now. First, don’t fear open source. Second, and for all that is holy, don’t write off engineers without classic degrees. Don’t lose the ridiculous talent that lies in open source coding because you think they’re all evil hackers, too lazy to get ‘real’ jobs.
You can set up pre-screeners that will narrow your talent pool, but know exactly what to screen. Look for talent, work ethic and accomplishments. In other words, someone who has done impressive work, wants to continue doing impressive work and will do it for you.
Dig for accomplishments and then check them out. An effective interview will paint a decent picture of the applicant, but you need to come prepared. Use a set of preselected questions that reveal the applicant’s history and behaviors. You want to see if the candidate will fit YOUR culture and perform at your level.
Use your time together to showcase:
• the great open office space
• fun perks that employees get to use, like game systems
• relaxing areas
• exciting company culture
• friendly coworkers and nice people
(You should probably have these things. If you don’t, great software engineers will see right through you.)
Gather a team
Reach out to co-workers around your company before you start your search. Seek those who have an interest or knowledge base in hiring or software engineering. Have everyone settle on consistent questions that answer each interviewer’s questions.
Assign Roles
Try splitting the hiring duties among your team into categories that mirror the recruiting stages: Sourcing, Screening, Interviewing, and Hiring. Nobody should be afraid to share responsibilities.
hiring
Hopefully, you have a clear picture of an interested candidate by the end of your process.
The candidate should:
• match your job profile
• fulfill your job description and its duties
• fit in with your company culture
Extend an offer:
1. At least commensurate with the market salary
2. With benefits matching other top companies
3. Noticeably great percks that differentiate your company from others
You know what to do when the time comes for the final deal. Make them an offer that will make them feel valuable so they accept and happily look back years down the line.
Follow the Leader, Just Not the Same Path
The rub?
You need to attract great talent in unusual ways. Huge companies do a great job of expressing why engineers should want to work for them. You need to do the same, just differently.
Everyone needs talented software engineers, so offer something not at other companies. Make your company a place someone would actually choose over other places.
I elaborated on things that are the practices of some of the best known companies in the world, and this has evolved over the years.
Now coming to the aspects of bonds, cheques of two months etc. as someone right pointed out they are negative means, and one's which will cause more harm than now.
This comes to you from sheer experience of my being in the software industry since 1987 seeing changes in technology - systems programming (clippers, device to applications development), products that address domain specific demands. Evolution of new technologies such as Microsoft, with windows, and the emergence of Oracle as the Data Management experts replacing D-base etc., and then the arrival of Java opening up the Open Source technology realm, giving a run for its money to subscribed liscenced software, and finally the advent of Internet changing the face of the industry, are all things that seem like a dream wow! it's a journey by itself.
Conclusion: How do you go from where you are to where you want to be?
Focused, hard work is the real key. You go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us. And that's the price we will have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. Keep your eyes on the goal, and just keep taking the next step towards completing it. If you aren't sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better. Remember that we work to make a worthwhile contribution and to become something in life, to achieve something, and for all this work is a meand to get there, and that's life. I do not know anyone who has made it to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. Even if it will not always get people to the top, but it will get most pretty near to the top.
Passion therefore should be your driving force as an individual or a leader. You must be passionate about what you are doing and where you are heading to. A passionate person translates energy down to his peers as well, setting oneself to run an extra mile, stay an hour longer, fight a little harder for the cause.
You have to be progressive in all aspects of your life. No matter how slow you progress forward, remember never to live a day standing still or even walking backward. Progress can come in the form of renewing your thinking, developing of your communication skills, or even the rediscovering/refining of yourself. I say this because none of us are perfect, and what ever we may do we will never be perfect in most areas, but we must never stop striving to become better in them everyday because they will make us better as people.
And real change can be slow, as Lincoln states, ‘I walk slowly.’
Change happens a little by little each day; we will never see change in our lives, in our skills in the matter of days, but as we focus on just progressing and moving forward, in span of months to years, we’ll see ourselves nearer to our goals, more mature as a person.
So remember that progressiveness is important in your life; no matter how slow change may take, don’t lose heart and stop altogether.
And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.
Finally success is the result of passion, commitment, dedication, hard work, learning from failure, being a team player, and persistence. Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest. When you fail you learn from the mistakes you made and it motivates you to work even harder.
Just remember all things are difficult before they become easy.
Best wishes and warmest regards,
TSK. Raman
08374111185
From India, Hyderabad
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
Dear Mr. Padam,
You may introduce a buddy HR system or engage new joiners with a lady HR from time to time. Taking up the challenge to work with IT companies is not very easy. A mature HR lady with an emotional approach may succeed in retaining employees.
From India, Gurgaon
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
You may introduce a buddy HR system or engage new joiners with a lady HR from time to time. Taking up the challenge to work with IT companies is not very easy. A mature HR lady with an emotional approach may succeed in retaining employees.
From India, Gurgaon
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
I agree with members who are not in favor of outdated and unfair labor practices like taking checks, bonds, originals, etc. These do not help in the long run as the word spreads, and you will find it difficult to even get good quality people.
I support the Wipro funda. The management there says they will create an enabling work environment for their employees, at a given compensation/benefit platform. Then it is up to the employees whether they want to leave or remain in the system. The management does their best and leaves the rest to employees. After that, they are not unduly bothered about attrition, as their goal is not to satisfy everybody. They look at the quality of people leaving, not quantity.
In the retail industry, we face an attrition rate of approximately 80% in front office jobs; people move for Rs.500/- p.m. also, as it matters a lot to them. In such a scenario, nothing works. However, I can understand if you are in an IT project kind of industry, then attrition bites much more strongly.
My last advice, don't go by the number of people leaving, consider the quality of people leaving. If your A+ people and senior people are leaving, then you need to lose your sleep and check out the root cause.
From India, Mumbai
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
I support the Wipro funda. The management there says they will create an enabling work environment for their employees, at a given compensation/benefit platform. Then it is up to the employees whether they want to leave or remain in the system. The management does their best and leaves the rest to employees. After that, they are not unduly bothered about attrition, as their goal is not to satisfy everybody. They look at the quality of people leaving, not quantity.
In the retail industry, we face an attrition rate of approximately 80% in front office jobs; people move for Rs.500/- p.m. also, as it matters a lot to them. In such a scenario, nothing works. However, I can understand if you are in an IT project kind of industry, then attrition bites much more strongly.
My last advice, don't go by the number of people leaving, consider the quality of people leaving. If your A+ people and senior people are leaving, then you need to lose your sleep and check out the root cause.
From India, Mumbai
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Employee-retent ion-plan_1__185 .pdf
Effective employee retention strategies-BPO. doc