Employees are becoming the competitive advantage for most businesses nowadays. Bad ones can cause an organization to fail, while good ones can make a mediocre business rise to the top. The key, of course, is to hire right; but just as important as hiring the right candidates, is keeping them. Attracting, motivating and retaining good employees takes focus, commitment, and dedication. Money is necessary, but not sufficient on its own to attract, retain and motivate good employees.

In their National Study of the Changing Work force, the Families and Work Institute found that, while Earnings & Benefits have only a two percent impact on job Satisfaction, Job Quality and Workplace Support have a combined 70 percent impact. Employees want to be treated with respect and they need to feel a sense of purpose in their jobs. Here is how you can use The Omnia Profile® to keep the best employees in your business:

1. Hire the right person. The Omnia Profile®; can help you determine whether your candidate is a good fit for the job. The profile discussion will point out the person’s strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the position he or she is applying for. You must then provide training, coaching, and development that will help the employee increase his capabilities and work around his limitations.

2. Try to match the strengths and interests of your employees with their work assignments. Focus on those when setting goals and motivating your staff. Again, at Omnia, we can identify what motivates each staff member so you can provide more of it in his or her work environment. For example, if your newly hired secretary happens to be very persistent and patient, and prefers routine (i.e. her profile pattern shows a good measure of column 6), send more repetitive work in her direction. If your staff member enjoys solving problems (tall column 4), he may excel in front-line service.

3. Realize that people don’t usually change much. Don’t waste time trying to encourage a behavior that is not natural for the individual; instead, try to draw out, nurture, and capitalize on the employee’s natural talents. A computer programmer with a tall column 7 may not be very thorough in documenting every line of code he or she writes, but can probably be very innovative in his designs/programs.

4. Compensate or manage around weaknesses. As an example, if you suspect your new employee lacks the initiative to handle a big project on his own (i.e. his profile pattern displays a good amount of column 2), you can assign the individual a peer-coaching partner who will bring in the confidence and experience this person lacks.

5. Assist employees in establishing goals that are congruent with their own temperaments and the organization’s mission. Then help each person define the expected outcome. A high column 1 employee is advancement-oriented and will probably prefer to focus on career growth and individualistic goals, while high column 2 personalities place more emphasis on job security, harmony and team cooperation.

6. Assess the underlying motivators beyond the paycheck. High column 4 individuals are often motivated when recognized for their unique technical skills, whereas high column 2’s are most likely to get excited about helping others.

7. Provide a learning environment. Create opportunities for employees to learn and grow. If your candidate has a tall column 8, he is probably a perfectionist who strives to improve his skills and become an expert in his job. This employee will seem more eager to come to work if he feels he will learn something new and improve himself. A high column 2 staff member may feel empowered and more willing to step outside her comfort zone and show initiative after receiving additional training at work.
8. Provide regular feedback. Show your appreciation for good work and practice random acts of attention and recognition. Celebrate successes and milestones reached. Keep in mind that high column 4’s prefer factual and impersonal feedback, while tall column 3 personalities welcome more generalized praise/compliments.

9. Keep communication channels open. Clearly communicate goals, responsibilities and expectations.

10. Employees value a workplace in which their input is encouraged and appreciated. Actively listen to their concerns and ideas, involve them in decision-making, and never criticize them in public.

Remember: Satisfying good employees, by ensuring that they are doing meaningful and interesting work, and by treating them with respect, is not only a nice gesture; it makes business sense.