How to reduce turnover rates by understanding what employees want and utilizing technology such as assessment tools

Becky:
My name is Becky.
I'm a senior manager for our operations team, working in recruiting at Baker Tilly, a public accounting firm.

Sarah:
I'm Sarah.
I'm one of our team managers for Baker Tilly.

Shaked:
What do you think is the biggest challenge for HR these days?

Becky:
I think it's the war on talent.
We hear it all the time, whether you're trying to attract employees, whether you're trying to retain employees and keep them happy or find moves for them,
It's all about talent nowadays, and the candidates kind of drive the market.
So having corporations that can flex and bend to meet that is definitely a big challenge.

Shaked:
How do you advise HR people to deal with it today in order to reduce the turnover rates?

Sarah:
I think a lot of it comes down to what the employee wants.
So it's really helping our managers understand what drives the employee.
And if it's a schedule change, if it's flexibility, if it's a different benefit that they could utilize.
It's really helping them understand what the benefits are right now and how they can utilize that
and make it work with their life.

Shaked:
80% of employees feel unappreciated.
What do you think can be the right spot to press on, and to add technology in order to retain those talents, those employees?

Becky:
Well, it's very important to know the styles of all your employees, how they prefer to receive feedback and recognition, whether it's a shout out, whether it's something private.
But then I think the flipside of that is also acting on that recognition.
You can say good job or give a Starbucks gift card or a raise,
but what opportunities and growth and development plans do you have in place
for employees so that they can continue to evolve at the company without needing to go look for a job elsewhere?

Shaked:
Did you find any technology around here that can help solving those pain points?

Becky:
We've recently started engaging with some assessment tools to determine again, what is an employee prefer, how do they like to work in groups, What sort of leadership style do they like? And by using those assessments and the findings of those to match them with the appropriate teams, we're hoping that we can combat some of the turnover ahead of time.

Shaked:
Your best tip for new HR managers, new business owners?

Becky:
I would say just integrate with the business.
If you're at a larger corporation, try to learn from marketing and sales and I.T. because they really do all work together.