This was an article that I had received and which talks mainly about practices at CISCO.
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION: Fascinating ways to attract & retain talent
Amidst layoffs and cost cutting, the top priority for organisations is the attraction and retention of the right talent. How can progressive organisations innovate ways attract and retain talent?
Finding the right talent is as difficult as retaining them. Organisations try all ways - even poaching candidates from competitors, to get the right talent in. In the times of economic uncertainties, it becomes all the more important to retain talent to keep the show going if not excel. While some organisations are using pay-cuts and sabbaticals to protect employees from layoffs, progressive organisations are using innovative ways to attract and retain the right talent and making profits by cutting hiring costs.
At Cisco
The online recruiting at Cisco is a well-planned tool, which also takes into consideration applicants' concerns. Recognising the fact that most applicants post their resumes from their workplace, they installed a 'panic button' saying - 'Oh! My boss is coming' on their website, which immediately pops a page containing '7 habits of highly successful employees' on the screen. Such simple gestures create a sense of solidarity in the minds of applicants even before they join the organisation.
To attract the ideal recruitment targets - employees of competitors, they organise focus groups to discuss issues like how they spend their time outside office and what would make them consider quitting for another job. The focus group participants are even paid for participating in the discussions. Another innovative programme at Cisco is the 'Make Friends @ Cisco' programme. The organisation advertises in the local movie theatres a phone number for candidates to call up and register into the programme. The profile of each registered candidate is analysed to pair up with a similar profile of an employee of Cisco. The programme that enables both the candidates and the existing employees to share ideas, aims at attracting talent through networking. In the year 2000 alone the 'Make Friends @ Cisco' programme helped them recruit 800 employees.
Even while acquiring other businesses, Cisco takes every care not to lose existing talent. When Cisco acquires another company, the HR practices are given as much importance in due diligence as legal and financial matters. The businesses they buy are carefully scrutinised to analyse the culture, management practices and pay systems and are not acquired unless they match Cisco's standards. The senior HR officers at Cisco are empowered to veto any acquisition and the organisation abides by it.
As there would be no second chance to create a first impression, Cisco ensures creation of a positive impression from the very first day. A phone, e-mail and business cards are made available to new employees the day they join and each is assigned to a 'mentor' immediately. The innovative practices of Cisco have paid-off. Their cost per hire is 40% less than the industry average; the number of new recruits rose from 2000 to 8000 annually and the time taken for filling up a vacancy reduced to 45 days from 113 days in 1998. In the year 1999, when it acquired about 20 businesses it lost only 7% of its 31,000 employees.
From India, New Delhi
8RECRUITMENT & RETENTION: Fascinating ways to attract & retain talent
Amidst layoffs and cost cutting, the top priority for organisations is the attraction and retention of the right talent. How can progressive organisations innovate ways attract and retain talent?
Finding the right talent is as difficult as retaining them. Organisations try all ways - even poaching candidates from competitors, to get the right talent in. In the times of economic uncertainties, it becomes all the more important to retain talent to keep the show going if not excel. While some organisations are using pay-cuts and sabbaticals to protect employees from layoffs, progressive organisations are using innovative ways to attract and retain the right talent and making profits by cutting hiring costs.
At Cisco
The online recruiting at Cisco is a well-planned tool, which also takes into consideration applicants' concerns. Recognising the fact that most applicants post their resumes from their workplace, they installed a 'panic button' saying - 'Oh! My boss is coming' on their website, which immediately pops a page containing '7 habits of highly successful employees' on the screen. Such simple gestures create a sense of solidarity in the minds of applicants even before they join the organisation.
To attract the ideal recruitment targets - employees of competitors, they organise focus groups to discuss issues like how they spend their time outside office and what would make them consider quitting for another job. The focus group participants are even paid for participating in the discussions. Another innovative programme at Cisco is the 'Make Friends @ Cisco' programme. The organisation advertises in the local movie theatres a phone number for candidates to call up and register into the programme. The profile of each registered candidate is analysed to pair up with a similar profile of an employee of Cisco. The programme that enables both the candidates and the existing employees to share ideas, aims at attracting talent through networking. In the year 2000 alone the 'Make Friends @ Cisco' programme helped them recruit 800 employees.
Even while acquiring other businesses, Cisco takes every care not to lose existing talent. When Cisco acquires another company, the HR practices are given as much importance in due diligence as legal and financial matters. The businesses they buy are carefully scrutinised to analyse the culture, management practices and pay systems and are not acquired unless they match Cisco's standards. The senior HR officers at Cisco are empowered to veto any acquisition and the organisation abides by it.
As there would be no second chance to create a first impression, Cisco ensures creation of a positive impression from the very first day. A phone, e-mail and business cards are made available to new employees the day they join and each is assigned to a 'mentor' immediately. The innovative practices of Cisco have paid-off. Their cost per hire is 40% less than the industry average; the number of new recruits rose from 2000 to 8000 annually and the time taken for filling up a vacancy reduced to 45 days from 113 days in 1998. In the year 1999, when it acquired about 20 businesses it lost only 7% of its 31,000 employees.
From India, New Delhi
Hey Swapna,
Good insight in the HR practise at Cisco.
I know some of these practises are being followed by small & medium sized companies too...but since they are not too well known in the market these strategies don't work for them.
UNS.
From India, Pune
Good insight in the HR practise at Cisco.
I know some of these practises are being followed by small & medium sized companies too...but since they are not too well known in the market these strategies don't work for them.
UNS.
From India, Pune
Hai Swapna Thanks a lot Nice information you shared with us The information is good and make us to think some what innovative. So , that we can recruit in different way Keep Sharing
From India, Bangalore
From India, Bangalore
Hi , Really a gr8 post. I appriciate the pop up stuff the most. Really worth reading 100 times. tHANKS FOR THE POST SAPNA. Look forward for similar posts in future. Regards, Santosh Verma.
From India, Bangalore
From India, Bangalore
Dear Swapna,
That was wonderful post, very informative, the techniques to recruit, focus groups, pop up stuff, and making friends is amazing, very innovative, something defintiely out of box, too good to ubderstand all these....
Thanks once again.....
Sari
From India, Hyderabad
That was wonderful post, very informative, the techniques to recruit, focus groups, pop up stuff, and making friends is amazing, very innovative, something defintiely out of box, too good to ubderstand all these....
Thanks once again.....
Sari
From India, Hyderabad
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