Retention Management - Antwerp Management School

RETENTION MANAGEMENT
LONG-TERM
RETENTION BASED
ON MUTUALLY
PERCEIVED
MEANINGFULNESS
BUSINESS MAGAZINE ON INNOVATION,
LEADERSHIP, STRATEGY AND VISION
HUMAN
RESOURCES
PAGINA 37
Long-term retention based on
mutuallly perceived meaningfulness
PAGINA 40
What can we learn from ganesh
PAGINA 41
De sollicitant is de baas
“Long-term retention is essentially about striking a
delicate balance,” says Dr. Peggy De Prins from Antwerp
Management School and a member of the CxO Expert
Group. “If too few workers leave the organization, a sort of
ossification seizes the personnel pool and the organization.
Almost no young blood joins up and the result is a marked
greying and ageing.”
LEES VERDER OP PAGINA 38
CXO EDITORIAL EXPERTS
Bruno Koninckx
Goele Geeraert
CxO EXPERT GROUP HUMAN RESCOURCES
Prof. dr. Peggy
De Prins
Docent en academisch
verantwoordelijke
HRM AMS
Denise Laros
Koen Dewettinck
Ass. Prof. of HRM
Director part-time MBA
programme
Vlerick Business School
Bert Lyssens
Corporate HR manager
Agfa-Gevaert
Els Druyts
Walter Engels
HR Manager
Aveve
Raymond Evens
HR manager
DHL Global
Forwarding (Belgium)
Sabine Gekiere
Bart Janssens
Patrick Muylle
Kristian
Vandenhoudt
Marc Van Hoecke
Geert Van
Hootegem
Linda Verdonck
HR Manager
Shell Belgium
Directeur personeel
en organisatie
Campina Belgium
HR Manager
Atlas Copco
HR Counsel
KPMG
HR Dept. Director
McDonalds’
Belgium
Hoogleraar
KULeuven
HR manager
Gosselin Group
HR manager
Ricoh Belgium
Vicky Welvaert
HR Manager
Asco Industries
38
BUSINESS MAGA ZINE ON INNOVATION, LE ADERSHIP, STR ATEGY AND VISION
Thema - artikel
CxO Redactie
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
What then are
the ingredients
of a long-term
retention policy?
CxO Magazine asked
the CxO Expert
Group. According
to Peggy De Prins,
long-term retention
is essentially
about looking for
meaningful maturity
growth and constant
maintenance
and fuelling of a
facilitating dialogue
on the subject.
Sabine Gekiere
takes the view that
engagement and
involvement are
key concepts in
talent retention.
[email protected]
WWW.CXONET.BE
RETENTION MANAGEMENT
Dr. Peggy De Prins: “If too few
workers leave the organization, a
sort of ossification seizes the personnel pool and the organization.
Almost no young blood joins up and
the result is a marked greying and
ageing. If the outflow is excessively
large and undesired, there is the
threat of substantial loss of knowledge, experience and network. The
organization as ‘teaching organization’ then becomes a hollow concept, and process stability is compromized. Labour market literature
uses the term ‘churn’: outflow that
exceeds the basic level of turnover
current in the industry sector. For
organizations, ‘churn’, for strategic,
costs and sustainability reasons, is
a delicate matter. Organizations
therefore prefer to anticipate as
quickly as possible by gaining an
understanding of the reasons for
voluntary departure. On that basis,
a tailored retention policy can then
be mapped out.”
no longer absolute, but relative. No
longer the lifelong perspective but
a timeframe that can be grasped
by both parties and experienced as
meaningful can be used as a signpost in the dialogue.”
quently returning to the organization with an enriched skill set. The
underlying reasoning is that these
workers are the best ambassadors
for the company in question.”
NO HIERARCHIC VIEW OF CAREERS
“In other words, a long-term reten“Breaking free from a narrow, hier- tion policy does not preclude a longarchic view of careers is also vital term career policy. On the contrary:
to any long-term retention policy. they strengthen each other. Where
A career policy that sets out uni- there used to be an actual overlap
laterally from traditional vertical during their entire career for a sinpromotions plus status increases is gle employee, that overlap is now
after all, by its very definition, lim- more often limited in time and
ited in possibilities, certainly in flat spread over different employees and
organizations. Research also sys- different career phases.”
tematically reveals that it is not so
much promotions that give workers SABINE GEKIERE: EMPLOYEE
satisfaction with their careers, but EXPERIENCE IMPROVES CUSTOMER
rather the opportunities that they EXPERIENCE
have to develop in a direction that “Engagement and involvement are
is important for them, this within a basic concepts in the maintenance
broader life context. Instead of pro- of talents,” says Sabine Gekiere, HR
motion, remotion (workers taking Department Director McDonald’s
a step back) may thus equally well Belgium and member of the CxO
bring solace. Or workers leave Expert Group. “It’s about involving
and then return. This latter phe- your workers through good comWHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS
OF SUSTAINABLE COSTnomenon is known as boomerang munication and by making them
recruiting and boils down to suc- feel ‘empowered’. That can hapEFFECTIVENESS?
Peggy De Prins: “Research has cessful workers leaving at a given pen in different ways: by motivatshown that offering a fair wage plus moment to consolidate or increase ing, by respecting, by listening and
sufficient job security, a good work- their skills elsewhere and subse- explaining objectives.”
life balance and opportunities for
promotion remain the top retention
factors. Within a retention policy we
can also not overlook the intrinsic
drivers. Workers want to see steady
progression, they want growth and
to be able to stretch themselves. The
key to long-term retention therefore also means looking for meaningful maturity growth and constant maintenance and fuelling of
a facilitating dialogue on the subject. If you regularly talk with your
workers about work that ‘whets the
appetite’ and involve them in projects that really interest them, you
can probably prolong their employment with your organization by sevDr. Peggy De Prins of the CxO Expert Group is attached to the Antwerp Management School’s
eral years. The timeframe in which “Next Generation Work. Sustainability through People” Competence Centre.
retention is discussed is then also
OKT-NOV 2014
39
HUMAN RESOURCES
BUSINESS MAGA ZINE ON INNOVATION, LE ADERSHIP, STR ATEGY AND VISION
CORPORATE CULTURE
Sabine Gek iere: “Work ing in
McDonald’s means working in a
diverse environment with young
and older people, Belgians and
immigrants, students and graduates. Team spirit and respect are
at the forefront of our culture,
alongside customer-mindedness.
Authenticity and being yourself are
also important.”
ISTHE CULTURE KEY TO RETAINING
TALENTS?
“To satisfy your customers you must
first satisfy your workers. Internal
research even suggests that there is
a link between employee satisfaction, staff turnover and customer
satisfaction. Where the involvement of management and workers
is high, and staff turnover low, there
is a better customer experience. It’s
only logical: if you are happy in
your work, you are more involved
and engaged. Involved and competent, self-confident workers make
Sabine Gekiere, HR Department Director McDonald’s Belgium and member of the CxO Expert
Group: “To satisfy your customers you must first satisfy your workers.”
the difference between a good and
an excellent customer experience.
“Retaining talents starts with Because coaching workers means It is precisely the ‘employee experecruitment. We recruit staff who mapping out a career path with rience’ that improves the customer
have the right attitude, i.e. the them. Our managers need to have experience.”
will to work, customer-minded- the right ‘people skills’ such as creness and a smile on their face. In ating involvement, following up
other words, we are looking for projects and giving performance
talent rather than a degree. Young reviews.”
people are offered the opportunity to develop their talents further through a wide range of training courses. Besides operational
training we also attach importance
THE ASSESSMENT COMPANY
to the soft skills: learning to work
in a team, keeping discipline and
clear communication with the customer. Sometimes staff move on to
other companies. We take account
of that. We note that there, precisely
because of our basic training, they
are often already well placed.”
Profiles Belgium
“Effective screening
delivers great people”
You hold on to talent by offering
prospects. “That’s where management has an important part to play.
OKT-NOV 2014
Tel: + 32 3 337 25 84
Mail: [email protected]
www.profilesbelgium.be
WWW.CXONET.BE

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