Let’s look at a few numbers.

25, 49, 35

The first number tells us that one-quarter of Chief Human Resources Officers and HR leaders lie awake at night worrying about employee engagement and retention.

Twenty-five percent, that’s a pretty big number of HR professionals who toss and turn night after night with thoughts rolling around in their heads of how to keep employees engaged.

(All numbers are from the 2015 CHRO Pulse Survey from Korn Ferry. http://static.kornferry.com/media/sidebar_downloads/2015_CHRO-Pulse_Survey.pdf )

Forty-nine is the percentage of these same respondents who say that general employee training and capability building is the most vital area to look at to contribute to the long-term bottom line goals for their organization. Thirty-five percent said recruitment is the most crucial area.

We can’t help you sleep at night, but we can offer some tips on employee retention and engagement. The Velsoft production team summarized, in the course Creating a Top-Notch Talent Management Program, the 10 C’s as described by the Richard Ivey School of Business. These C’s can go a long way toward creating an engaged workforce.

  • Connect with your employees. No matter what your position, take the time to speak with members of your staff individually.
  • Give your employees the opportunity to advance their career. This means you should hold employees accountable, provide opportunities for learning and advancement, and ensure that people have meaningful and challenging work.
  • Create a clear vision. People can’t follow you if they don’t know where you’re going!
  • Convey your vision, your expectations, and feedback.
  • Congratulate employees when they make a contribution or do something positive.
  • Give employees a chance to contribute to the organization.
  • Give employees control over their jobs as much as possible.
  • Create a collaborative atmosphere. Teamwork is a great motivator, and research by the Gallup organization shows that having a best friend at work is one of the biggest engagers.
  • Ensure your company is credible and has a good reputation.
  • Create confidence in your employees and in your company.

A company that has these values in place will find it easier to recruit qualified and suitable applicants who will respond well to training.

Putting these 10 C’s into practice should help you sleep easy.

Good luck.