"With great ideas, will it still be difficult to recruit and retain talent at the end of the year?"

　　In recent years, the most common complaint from businesses has been "difficulty in recruiting and retaining talent," especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Why is it difficult? What exactly makes it difficult? Perhaps every company has different reasons.

Jack Ma once said that the reasons for employee turnover boil down to two things: either the salary is insufficient, or the employee feels mistreated; everything else is just an excuse. Businesses must face the issue head-on, not ignore or evade it, and identify the root cause. Only then can they truly solve the problem. All levels of management should recognize the severity of this issue, change their mindset, think actively, and have the determination and confidence to resolve the problem. As the saying goes, "Nothing is difficult in the world, only if you are determined." The real "difficulty" in recruiting and retaining talent lies in the shift of thinking and the spirit of pragmatism.

Let's further analyze the root causes of this problem. First, consider whether the business is willing to view talent as a resource or capital to be allocated, and whether they are willing to pay the corresponding labor costs according to market rules, rather than relying on their preconceived ideas to set salary levels. If not, conflicts will arise, and difficulty will be inevitable. For instance, a company wanted to hire a senior engineer, and after interviews and professional testing, they found an ideal candidate. However, the process was halted because the candidate's salary expectations were too high. The reason? The management was concerned about things like, "They haven't done anything yet, and their salary is higher than our director’s," or "How can we balance the salaries of existing employees if the new hire’s salary is this high?"

Secondly, when faced with challenges, can senior management avoid ignoring, avoiding, or finding excuses? Are they willing to think carefully and actively look for solutions? In the example above, did the relevant leadership think carefully and scientifically assess whether the talent they were bringing in could help the company create more value? If so, why not offer a higher salary? The key is that many businesses cannot evaluate an individual’s performance value reasonably and accurately. The evaluation criteria are unclear, and there are no quantifiable indicators, so they resort to subjective assessments based on vague, middle-of-the-road approaches. How can such practices attract and retain top talent? The way you think determines the way forward, and your vision determines your framework. There’s no such thing as a hard problem if you are determined.

Thirdly, the key to solving this problem is identifying the root cause and addressing it accordingly. Many businesses emphasize talent stability, cohesion, and a competitive compensation and benefits system, yet still fail to solve the issue of recruiting and retaining talent. So, what other factors could be influencing this? In general, subjective reasons for voluntary turnover include the pursuit of higher career platforms, seeking a better reputation, or family and regional reasons. Objective factors often include: bleak company prospects, limited personal development, lack of career advancement opportunities, low salary and benefits, strong feelings of unfairness, poor relations with supervisors or lack of trust, and low corporate loyalty.

On the other hand, involuntary turnover can be caused by factors such as business closure, not meeting job requirements and being asked to leave, personal shortcomings leading to dismissal, or leaving voluntarily but actually being forced out. Of course, passive turnover may also be due to management issues, such as narrow-mindedness, favoritism, or jealousy of talent.

　　In view of the above factors, it is necessary for us to put forward some professional ideas and methods for enterprises to refer to and explore, in order to solve the ‘difficult to recruit, difficult to retain’ difficulties, problems.

1. Recruitment and Hiring Process, Comprehensive Consideration

1. Change Mindset, Clarify That "Recruitment Is About Finding the Right Person, Not the Best Person." There is no need to impose excessive restrictions on education, experience, or age. Instead, focus on leveraging the strengths of potential candidates and broaden the selection range. The key is to recognize that the right person is someone who can independently take on the responsibilities and goals of the position.

2. Clarify the Company's Position for the Vacant Role, Understand Market Supply and Demand, and Know Salary Levels. Familiarize yourself with the salary standards for similar talent in the industry and region, especially for high-level management and specialized technical roles. It’s important to create a reasonable compensation and incentive system for such talent.

3. Understand the Company’s Strengths and Analyze the Demand Characteristics of Different Talent Levels. Don’t blindly pursue overly high-end or highly specialized talent. Both the company and the talent should follow the principle of mutual selection, similar to a romantic relationship — both parties need to be attracted to each other before further communication is possible.

4. Identify Special Talent Needs in Specific Development Stages of the Company. Consider how to creatively think and solve problems without violating principles. Often, just changing the perspective can lead to entirely different insights.

5. Establish a Talent Strategy for the Company. No matter the development stage, clearly identify the key positions within the company and develop contingency plans for these roles, including both A and B candidates. Simultaneously, work on building and nurturing a talent pipeline at all levels within the organization. This is a critical indicator of a company’s maturity and effective management.

　　

2. Retention and Development: Focus on Details

A. Human Resources Department - Tracking and Managing New Employees:

1. Does the HR department communicate further or gather indirect feedback to understand the true intentions or goals of the new employees joining the company?

2. Has the department taken the time to understand the new employees' personal goals? Are career development plans in place? Has the company helped with career planning?

3. During the probation period, is there consistent tracking and contact, especially during the first two months? Are new employees simply handed over to the hiring department without further support, leaving them to figure things out on their own?

B. Hiring Departments - Emphasis on Employee Training, Adaptation, and Well-Being:

1. Are the job responsibilities, scope, and goals clearly defined?

2. Does the new employee's skill set match the job requirements? Has appropriate training or a mentor been assigned?

3. Does the department provide care and assistance with both work-related and personal matters? Or is the focus solely on the work outcomes?

4. Does the new employee identify with the company's management style and culture? Have they integrated into the company's work environment?

5. Does the new employee feel their value and contributions are appropriately recognized? Do they have higher goals and aspirations?

6. Does the new employee perceive any unfairness in the policies or practices? Do they agree with the company’s incentive mechanisms?

7. Does the new employee have confidence in the company’s or their own future development?

8. Do they feel respected by the team’s managers?

C. Company Level Practices:

1. Establish a "psychological contract" with employees, ensuring they align with the company’s values and goals, and fostering a sense of belonging.

2. Create a scientific and fair performance appraisal system. Conduct regular performance reviews, build a competitive and equitable compensation system, and ensure that performance results are considered in compensation decisions, with fairness and appropriate rewards or penalties.

3. Offer career development planning, including necessary job training and skill enhancement. Establish a future-focused career development program.

4. Provide a parallel career advancement path for technical professionals with equal pay and opportunities as management roles, fostering a spirit of craftsmanship and allowing employees to realize their potential.

5. Establish a plan for developing backup personnel at all levels within the organization, while also seeking external channels to attract key talent from the industry.

6. Build and promote a positive and energetic company culture that encourages open communication, inspiring creativity and enthusiasm among employees.

7. Pay attention to the management of employees leaving the company, maintaining contact and utilizing their insights, evaluating internal issues, and keeping up with industry trends.

8. For employees who voluntarily leave, consider establishing a re-hiring system, prioritizing talent regardless of their past departure.

　　With the development of the economy and the evolving talent pool, the issue of "difficulty in recruiting and retaining employees" has become a common challenge for enterprises. However, while struggling with recruitment, businesses that find it hard to hire often face greater difficulty in retention as well. In contrast, outstanding companies find it easy to both recruit and retain top talent. Recruitment and retention go hand in hand. The external challenges faced by businesses are similar, so the focus of enterprises should remain on people, emphasizing how to leverage their own strengths and build their brand.

In summary, the essence of competition among enterprises is the competition for talent. As the saying goes, "The water in a stream does not rot, and the door pivot does not become corroded." To maintain a competitive edge in a fierce market environment, companies must maintain appropriate talent flow. The key is to retain core management and technical personnel—those essential to the company’s growth. By keeping the key talent needed for development, enterprises can accelerate their growth and ensure a strong foundation for future success.