Organizations with Low Employee Retention Need to "Unpack" Underlying Issues, Says Corporate Counseling Associates

New York, N.Y. / September 1, 2007 – Organizations that cite workforce retention struggles typically have a host of interconnected problems beneath the surface, says workforce consulting firm Corporate Counseling Associates (CCA). As a result, CCA is helping companies "unpack" their issues to discover underlying problems.

Creative approaches are needed before top-performing employees are lost in the dwindling talent pool, says the firm, which has developed new principles and roadmaps to help companies achieve talent management success.

"Businesses are turning to us for help with retention issues, but we're increasingly finding those issues are symptoms of a much larger problem," explains Steve Salee, vice president of consultative services for CCA. "The core problem usually stems from a lack of talent management and onboarding programs, which triggers a 'ripple effect' across recruiting, hiring and retaining, as well as professional development and succession planning."

With the workforce talent pool shrinking and employees seeking greater flexibility, organizations need to redouble their talent management efforts or risk losing top performers to competitors with progressive approaches. Illustrating the need for flexible thinking is a July 2007 survey from the Pew Research Center, which found that 60 percent of working mothers prefer part-time work rather than full-time – compared to 48 percent a decade earlier.

Corporate consolidations are also straining employee cultures. Companies once merged businesses, but now mega-organizations merge internal business units without always considering the need to integrate cultures.

"Companies can no longer afford to be fuzzy, inefficient and disconnected when it comes to managing their employees," adds Salee. "The changes in the marketplace demand that a corporate culture be connected and precise."

Different challenges require different approaches. CCA's multilayered approach "unpacks" a company's overall retention struggle into various component pieces, addressing each aspect with steps that work within an existing corporation's culture – rather than stamp a pre-existing philosophy into place.

CCA experts stress that businesses need to "connect the dots" when modifying their traditional strategies. A talent management initiative should satisfy four guiding principles:

• Persistence – A leadership team must be named and held responsible for overseeing and communicating ongoing success.
• Flexibility – Onboarding, coaching, team-building and other elements must be flexible in design and execution to fit with different cultures, operations and priorities within the organization.
• Accountability – Leaders and managers at all levels must be held accountable – financially and non-financially – for the initiative's success. Without accountability, this work is likely to be postponed or unfinished due to competing priorities.
• Measurability – Success metrics must be established up front, implemented and reviewed to ensure effectiveness.

"The key is not to be overly cerebral, but rather to understand people and the workplace on a personal level," Salee adds. "Once in place, this approach can be scaled to any level, focusing on individuals, departments and the organization."

About Corporate Counseling Associates
Corporate Counseling Associates (CCA) started in 1984 with a passion for helping people, and remains committed to helping companies get the most from their workforce. CCA helps companies identify and address workplace issues before they become costly problems. CCA understands business on a strategic level, and its programs help organizations support and improve employee performance with key service offerings such as EAP, work/life, talent management, executive coaching, content-rich training and consultative wellness.

With more than 20 years of experience and a global network of hand-picked consultants and in-house professionals, CCA employs flexibility, agility and creative thinking to deliver high-impact performance results. For more information, call (212) 686-6827 or visit www.corporatecounseling.com.

Media Contacts:
Georgia Critsimilios, Corporate Counseling Associates
212-686-6827
ghc(at)corporatecounseling.com

Elrond Lawrence, Fisher Vista for CCA
831-757-9100
elawrence(at)fishervista.com

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