Limit employee turnover by interviewing better
An interview with David Ossip, the chief executive of Ceridian, in the New York Times provides a nice reminder of the importance of monitoring employee turnover. “When I want to understand if a company’s culture is strong or not, I always look at voluntary turnover,” Ossip says. “If the number is very high, something’s completely wrong.” In Ossip’s view, if you have a turnover rate under 8 percent, “you have a very good company culture.” If your company falls in the 8 to 12 percent range, you have a good culture. If you’re in the 15 to 20 percent range, something needs attention. “Some companies and industries naturally have high turnover rates,” Ossip says, “but generally something is not right if the turnover is that high.” So what can companies do to keep employees? Ossip suggests that it begins in the interview process. Candidates should meet with several people in the organization to help determine whether they’ll fit in with the culture. He also says that he looks for team players “because you need to get that collaboration to actually scale the organization.” Aside from learning about a candidate’s working habits, Ossip reveals that he’s also very interested in a candidate’s interests outside of work. “I’m looking for something different or something that really identifies who you are, and that describes the character and perseverance of the individual,” Ossip says. Asking insightful questions in the interview process can help assure that the candidate is indeed a good fit for your culture. And ensuring a good fit, right from the beginning, can go a long way in reducing employee turnover down the road. Read the full article at nytimes.com.]]>