War for talent a dangerous time for companies

http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,23054780-5012426,00.html

The ongoing war for talent is now looking at setting wage increases, and companies are already beginning to promise more benefits in an attempt to attract staff.

The danger? Breakdown of trust by not managing ENPs (that's Expectations, Needs and Promises in my language). This is just the time when companies begin to make all sorts of promises, raise expectations of potential employees, and tap into their greatest needs to attract them - and then what? They fail to deliver.

The number one reason people leave organisations is because their expectations have not been met. And they decide real quick - most within the first week, and certainly by the end of the first month.

In my experience, companies seem to think that telling the truth will somehow put them out of the race - what the heck makes them think that lying is a better option? The thing is, you get found out by the very people you were trying to attract! So then retention becomes the next problem - we get the people, but we can't keep them. Why? Because you broke their trust. Their expectations were not met, the promises you made to them were not kept, and their needs were not met, or at least it was all looking like the wall was crumbling down.

The thing is, when people's ENPs are looking unstable, they bail out. The greater their need, the quicker they get out of the situation.

If you are an employer looking to not only attract, but also to retain your people, you seriously need to think about what expectations you are creating, what needs you are meeting, and what you are promising - can you actually meet all those? If not, think again.

Honesty is always the best policy, even if the job means long working hours, or a small desk, whatever. You will attract the right people, not just anyone, to the job. If you need to offer more, be damned sure you can keep your promises, or you'll lose out in the end.