We know the importance of human capital for any organization because it is what really differentiates a company from its competitors. We also know the value of attracting and retaining talent, and the relationship that this has with achieving the company’s objectives. In the IT market, where the talent is also limited and the competition for this talent is very strong, this becomes absolutely essential, and implies an additional effort to be made by the Human Resources Department. However, we no longer talk about “retaining” talent… the new HR paradigms speak of “generating commitment”, which is something completely different.
Retaining vs. Generating Commitment
When we talk about retaining, we are referring to a satisfied or fairly satisfied employee, who chooses to remain in the organization… at least for the time being. On the other hand, commitment involves managing a desired and autonomous effort, where a collaborator decides to contribute his/her talent, motivation, and involvement to achieve strategic and operational objectives. Here, we find the difference between having to do what you should do, and wanting to do what must be done.
The organizational commitment is a psychological and emotional bond that connects employees with organizations. It directly influences their behavior and actions towards their work. Highly engaged employees are not only living the organizational philosophy, but also they become “ambassadors” to promote the pride of belonging to it. They give the best of themselves to achieve corporate objectives, encourage positive behaviors for the organization’s benefit, and generate a constructive atmosphere, which represents a competitive advantage for organizations.
Illustrative Tale
Three men were breaking stones in a quarry. One day a tourist approached them and asked them what they were doing there. The first man replied that he was working, tired, and praying that the day was over to go to sleep. The second one said that he was working hard to earn bread to feed his family. The third one, however, replied he was building a beautiful cathedral.
Beyond employee’s differences in personality and attitude, which would be obvious to any recruiter, in the third one we can recognize a purpose. He understands why he does what he does, what the purpose of his work is, and how it affects a future larger project. We call this implication.
Implication means commitment. It refers to understanding the meaning of what we do, why we do it and what the objective is. To this end, business leaders must make their employees feel like they are an important part of a larger plan, a team in which all parts are essential.
How Can We Do It?
- By communicating to the employees where the organization is going and what the goals are.
- By transmitting the importance of each member of the company in achieving these goals.
- And of course, by describing plans that will get us there.
At Intraway, we understand the importance of this, and that is why we have two annual kickoff events, in August and in February. During these events, the CEO explains the employees what the direction of the company is, what is the strategic plan, and how all departments will contribute to achieve these objectives.
In our daily work, we also have a clear direction. Since 2015, we have implemented a One-Page Strategic Planning process, where each area defines its contribution to reaching the overall objectives of the organization. Every quarter of the year, each team meets, the leaders share their visions, and each member contributes his/her opinion to define the goals to be achieved during that quarter.
Also, it allows employees to generate a higher level of autonomy. Since they know what the final objective is, the decision-making process is facilitated.
However, this is only the starting point. To make commitment possible, it is important to take actions for employee well-being, such as creating a good working environment, providing opportunities for professional development, and providing space and time to celebrate personal and professional achievements in order to generate pride and camaraderie among members of the organization.
The work is hard, but the results are worth it. Go on!
If you would like to join us and be part of our team, please click the following link to learn more about us: www.intraway.com
