New Model for Employee Retention in the Newspaper Industry [Poynter Online] Monday 12/29/03 5:22 PM
In general, newspapers continue to have high turnover rates for reporters. Even when they do all the things that the Retention experts suggest (such as daily praise, bonuses, celebrating birthdays) reporters still move rapidly from one publication to another seeking the much desired career growth.
The newspaper industry, like other industries, operates under the model:
Goal of Employee Retention
Supported by internal incentives
Leads to
Job Satisfaction which encourages
Delaying Career Move
What if things were viewed from the opposite direction?
Focus on career development for the employees
Supported by tailored training
Which leads to Job Satisfaction
Which Grows Employee Retention
With this approach, instead of focusing on employee retention, the focus is on Career Development with the byproduct of this attention being Employee Retention.
The career development plan for this model includes a 4-step approach:
1) Recruit - Be careful in your selection of employees. (See source article for tips for hiring reporters.)
2) Research - On the first days of the job, ask the employee to summarize his or her goals by answering the questions:
-Where do you want to be following your tenure at this company?
-What will it take to get there?
-What are your strengths and weaknesses
3) Reinforce - Create a set of actionable goals consistent with the employee's overall career goal. Include timelines and needed training.
When the time comes that the employee is ready to move on, assist them with help and advice.
4) Repeat - Congratulate the employee and make it known to others of the employee's success.
Other employees will be motivated to continue to reach their goals.
This process will not keep employees indefinitely, but it will create for successful employees that stay for a reasonable period of time.
Read Source
| |
