According to CIPD figures, recruiting one new member of staff costs in excess of 5,000 per capita

ìstill waters run deep,î the award winning creative communications agency, provides recruiters and HR professionals with top tips on how to forge positive internal communications, how to maximise staff retention and how to nurture new and existing talent...

According to CIPD figures, recruiting one new member of staff costs in excess of 5,000 per capita. Therefore, every new member of staff that walks through the door of any organisation should be looked upon as an investment, accruing potential long term interest.

As a creative agency with over 15 yearsí experience of dealing with the churn associated with a sector that is renowned for its high staff turnover, ìstill waters run deepî would make the following recommendations to recruiters and HR professionals alike when considering staff retention and maximising internal communications:

Make team members feel part of the process of change, regardless of their management level

Keep staff informed of changes, either by an intranet, group meetings, off-site meetings and conferences or via an internal newsletter

Use recruitment policy as a learning curve, not only for what works within an organisation, but also vis-a-vis misjudgements and errors

Ask for employee feedback and give staff feedback at regular intervals

Consider an individualís makeup and motivation ñ eg. some employees are motivated by money alone, others by the ëover and abovesí

Nurture up-and-coming talent from universities with placement opportunities and, in the case of design, design schools and give something back to future generations of talent

Listen to your staff and encourage teams to make suggestions as to how the business can be improved, both internally and externally

Stand by your corporate culture and belief system: be true to your team spirit and to your clientsí needs and wants

Encourage your teams to see the world through their clientís eyes as well as through the eyes of the employer company

See client input as an opportunity rather than as a hindrance

Consider recruitment policies as long-term as you would expect when taking on any new client contract

Ensure that each member of staff is treated as an individual and not as a cog in a corporate wheel ñ in the same way that each and every client is treated in a tailored and bespoke fashion

Encourage your teams to go the extra mile in their role and to deliver over and above to clients ñ this will encourage them to take pride in their work as well as in the company and you as an employer

Creative organisations tend to favour a complementary mix of individuals that offer something different to re-energise existing team members. Donít disregard one candidate just because their CV doesnít ëtick the usual boxesí

Companies look for individuals with potential. They donít necessarily want people who have already ëbeen there and done thatí, favouring individuals that can be nurtured into the corporate culture

Bottom line, regardless of the industry you recruit for and monitor, whilst high staff turnover may mean more cash in the bank and more introduction fees, bottom line is that if you are recruiting staff for clients that stay in situ, clients will appreciate that you have a sound understanding of their personnel needs. Long term relationship building is paramount in any industry, so donít always just consider the quick hit turnaround. Think about the long term and how much it is costing a client to secure an efficient talent pool.

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