The economy has created a new set of rules. Agencies must raiseproductivity by hiring the most skilled and talented people theycan find. Although there have been many layoffs in the past fewyears, talented people are in great demand. To attract the best,organizations must rethink their strategies to effectively recruit,motivate and retain committed employees in this highly competitiveenvironment.

Today's high-performing employees are looking for more thancompensation packages and benefits. And they are not looking in theclassifieds but are seeking out employers who provide outstandingwork environments and continual learning and advancementopportunities. Studies have shown that employees and potentialemployees rank career development as their No. 1 priority. Feelingvalued, open communication and a fun workplace are also key factorsin their selection criteria.

Knowing what makes your agency unique and communicating thateffectively can help build a workforce that is energized andcommitted to achieving the organization's goals. Agencies thatalign their recruiting strategy with their brand identity are ableto establish a clear picture of what sets them apart. This approachis a good way for smaller companies to compete fortalent.

Uniqueness will vary from agency to agency, so to determineyours, consider:

What do employees think? Make a listof selling points for job applicants. Solicit feedback from youremployees. Why do they like working there? What makes them feelgood about their job and the agency? What do they like about theirmanager? One way to identify positive points is to conduct anemployee satisfaction survey to learn employees' perceptions of theagency, its values, work environment and management, strengths andweaknesses. From this feedback, employers can develop policies andretention programs to address turnover, recruiting issues andemployees' concerns.

How is the agency perceived in thecommunity? Agencies which are seen as bothcommunity leaders and industry experts are more successful inattracting talent. Applicants form impressions about companies fromvarious sources: the agency's support of various local and civicorganizations and causes, its reputation in the industry, and itsreputation as an employer.

The community and national causes your agency supportscommunicate a great deal about the values of the organization. Themore your agency is “out there” as a successful business and ingiving back to the community, the more likely you are to attractcandidates who are a good fit with your organization's culture andvalues. If you send your employees out into the community to attendconferences, user groups or other meetings, they can spread theword that your agency is a great place to work.

Why do people turn down joboffers? In some cases it is compensation, butin many cases it's the negative interview process. Agencies knownfor their ability to attract and hire good employees go to greatlengths to maintain an upbeat, positive relationship with allapplicants, even those not hired. They treat applicants like theircustomers, provide them with feedback in a timely manner, and arealways recruiting (selling), even during the jobinterview.

Company culture. Company culturecan be defined as the unique pattern of expectations, beliefs,values and attitudes about the company. While largely invisible andrarely discussed formally, a culture's values affect employees'ability to raise issues, solve problems, act on new opportunities,move in new and creative directions and perform to their potential.Culture is the driving force of the organization because it largelydetermines how motivated, cooperative and productive people areable to be.

To attract, motivate and retain talented employees and gain thecompetitive advantage, you will want build upon theseprinciples:

• Understand that the culture is set and managed by theleadership. Leaders' behaviors demonstrate the values they want toencourage.
• Involve people in decisions that affect them. Allow employeesat all levels to actively analyze and solve their own workplaceproblems.
• Make sure everyone knows how his or her work fits into the bigpicture. Make sure that people can personally identify with theagency's vision and mission.
• Hold monthly meetings to provide updates on plans and newdevelopments and to address employees' questions and concerns.
• Recognize and reward desired behavior with ceremonies, bonusesand promotions. Make recognition very public andpersonal.
• Initiate a “360 degree” performance evaluation withself-evaluations and self-goal setting.
• Involve each person in job discussions so that their careerdevelopment can fulfill more of their personal needs, interest andgoals.
• Involve employees who will work with the new employee in theselection process.