Retention & Recruitment: A Young Professional’s Deliberate Choice
A hot topic in the job market right now is recruiting a great workforce and retaining them. We have a market where potential hires have more options to choose their next job and career path. Such is the case that some organizations have even experienced potential hires ‘ghosting’ interviews or even showing up for the first day of work and promptly leaving during their lunch break, never to be heard from again.
“Ghosting -- Ceasing all communication in hopes that the ghostee will get the hint and leave the subject alone. This is opposed to communicating that the subject is no longer interested.”
Previously an informal slang term used in the dating world, the term is now a reality within the business world as well.
Voltage has published blogs on retention and recruitment before, but today I’m taking the time to share from the perspective of a young professional who can say that the value of growth opportunities is certainly invaluable.
Two years ago I felt immense pressure to move to a sprawling city with plenty of other young millennials in order to fill this linear life gap that I had made up for myself. A bigger city meant more opportunities for growth, more fun, and more connections. Around the same timeframe, I had received a job offer in both Northern Virginia and Roanoke, VA. I accepted the position in Roanoke at Voltage Leadership Consulting over a bigger business, in a bigger city that I had originally thought that I wanted. Ultimately, I am grateful for my deliberate choice and the gut feeling that told me to choose Voltage over the allure of the other position.
Why did I stay and why am I still grateful for that choice?
My interview at Voltage was with CEO, Jeff Smith, and Leadership Consultant, Lee Hubert. They covered an array of topics, but I was able to gather important characteristics about the firm that stuck out to me and stuck with me.
The bigger company in Northern Virginia seemed fun (i.e. they had a ping pong table) but man! The Voltage Team had some charisma, values, and really wanted to know how they could help me in the long run.
I understood from the beginning that accepting this job offer meant that I would have easier access to growth opportunities, such as leadership development, and be able to sit at the metaphorical tables that I wanted to sit at. Not to say that I wouldn’t have received these opportunities in Northern Virginia, but these experiences would have been harder to come by. Jeff and Lee did not just want to know me as an employee but they wanted to know me as an overall person. They wanted to know if I had passion and curiosity because at the end of the day, skills are teachable, but only if the person is open and has the drive to learn. I accepted the job because I saw the potential to grow myself professionally and personally.
Fast forward two years:
- I have become significantly better at networking.
- I have a better understanding of the complexities of organizational growth.
- I have become much more involved within my community through different leadership programs and community programs recommended by my organization.
- I understand my own leadership style and can navigate and confidently lead diverse teams as well as have the confidence to lead more crucial conversations.
The culture behind Voltage is one where we celebrate our differing passions. There is not a week that goes by that someone on my team does not call to say, ‘Have you seen this program/event/class that you may be interested in?’ And because of that, I have a true appreciation for where I work and the values that it holds.
Organizations are struggling with finding individuals who will thrive in their company. There are always people who will work, but what you want are employees who truly care, have loyalty, and a thirst for learning and growing. As you make room in your culture for opportunities to grow with your employees, that workforce talent will come and they will stay. Retaining and recruiting talent can be a set of 10 quick tips, but at the end of the day, it’s about fostering a growth environment for your employees, and as your employees stay and grow, so will your company.
