Barbarians at the Gate

I am always amazed when I am approached by a client who has a retention problem. It’s always interesting to note that they have not dealt with some of the small things that can be done to somewhat lock the door from the barbarians at the gate, those pesky headhunters.

Rule #1: Make sure employee/telephone directories are not available for download and make it extremely difficult for anyone including employees to print or copy it. It’s incredible how often I have been able to go on a clients website and download a complete employee directory with employee titles, phone numbers and email addresses. What are companies thinking? Nortel Networks (now defunct) had a downloadable application of their entire employee population, including all executive employees when I first got there. It was one of the first things I got rid of to slow down poaching.

Rule #2: Train admin’s, secretaries, executive assistants and any and all staff and or services that manage incoming calls and emails to the ruses headhunters and recruiters use to identify or access company talent. I train corporate teams in these approaches to both recruit from companies and or repel competitors. Believe me when I say how porous most companies doors are. Secretaries handing out entire organization charts, employees talking about who the most gifted engineers are, even employees within your own company potentially poaching from you for the competition. Amazing.

Rule #3: Complete an audit of your companies security defenses against poachers and headhunters as well as the biggest threat your own employees, especially the ones that are disgruntled and on the way out. Once you have gone thru a structured process looking at all the possible routes headhunters use you can start blocking the holes, at the very least making them much smaller.

These tactics will not stop employees from leaving and or prevent headhunters from poaching your employees but it will reduce attrition as well as reduce the noise in the company about recruiting offers that employees have received. These are only a few approaches I have used to help companies, if you want to hear about the full portfolio, get in touch.

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Comment by C. B. Stalling!! on September 20, 2011 at 9:48am: When I place a candidate I ask them to give me a corp directory they are happy too..Try it you will like it.

Comment by Francois Guay on September 20, 2011 at 10:45am: I do the same when I am on the headhunting side, anything to get an edge. But if I am on the corporate side you will find all the gates locked. That's just smart HR. Would you leave your home doors open just because people like it there. Sure it's important to be a great company and treat your people right, career advancement, etc... but people are being a little optimistic when they say not to waste time on defending your talent by any means possible Tell that to your CEO and see what happens.

Comment by Amy Ala Miller on September 20, 2011 at 11:19am: I'm certain that my CEO is far more concerned about being the type of employer where talent is scaling the walls to get IN as opposed to me running around slapping people who dare pick up the phone when a Barbarian calls...

Comment by Francois Guay on September 20, 2011 at 11:46am: Amy that's obvious, any good CEO will say that but that does not mean you should not do the small things that will make it more difficult to recruit from you.

Comment by David on September 20, 2011 at 11:49am: Just seems there are better things to spend one's time. It is clear this is your MO or belief system regarding retaining talent.