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XpertHR Explains How to Keep Top Performers From Leaving Employee engagement and performance are hot button issues because organizations with engaged employees typically have better financial and production performance than organizations with disengaged employees, says a new XpertHR  report . However, engaging and retaining top performers can be a struggle. A recent XpertHR survey found that 49% of HR professionals were very or extremely challenged when it came to increasing employee engagement, morale and satisfaction. The survey also found that 48% viewed retaining employees as very or extremely challenging; and 46% viewed aligning talent retention strategy with business objectives as very or extremely challenging. The unemployment rate stands at 4.0 percent and approximately 304,000 jobs were created in January 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job candidates have many choices and the tight labor market is a very real problem for HR professionals who are trying to attract and retain high quality applicants. Turnover that is avoidable (for example, because of poor management) and dysfunctional (losing employees that are top performers) can adversely affect an organization. Because a significant percentage of organizational or team output is often attributable to a top performer, a business should focus on retaining this type of employee. “Common reasons that drive employees to search for alternative employment include leaving because they are dissatisfied with their current employment situation; or a better job is available,” says Marta Moakley, JD, XpertHR Legal Editor. “Of particular concern is the loss of key employees - high performers and those with hard-to-replace skills.” Employers not only need to understand what is pushing employees to leave the organization, but also what is pulling them to stay. The promotion of employee engagement pulls employees to stay and thrive in their jobs. Employee engagement yields more than just employee satisfaction. An engaged employee is elevated to one who is committed to the organization and motivated to perform at sustainably high levels. “An employer with an engaged workforce can experience higher productivity, higher profitability, and lower absenteeism and turnover rates,” says Robert S. Teachout, SHRM-SCP, XpertHR Legal Editor. “Engagement is the key to retaining top performers and finding ways to retain their best employees remains a concern for most organizations.” While pay is an important factor in keeping high potential employees in place, engagement is a crucial step that employers can take to retain top performers.   Employers that want to improve employee engagement should follow these steps: Plan and prepare an engagement campaign Prepare and conduct an initial employee engagement survey Consider conducting an employee job satisfaction survey, but use caution, as engagement and job satisfaction do not necessarily correlate with each other. Roll out the engagement campaign Request and provide feedback to each employee on a regular basis Evaluate the engagement campaign For a copy of XpertHR’s Retaining Top Performers whitepaper, visit  XpertHR . Or  download a copy  of XpertHR’s Improving Employee Engagement Checklist. About XpertHR XpertHR helps build successful workforces by providing practical tools, expert resources and agile HR solutions at the federal, state and municipal level to help businesses stay a step ahead.

Clarity Benefit Solutions, a commuter benefits firm, lists the top employee benefits for attracting top talent in a tightened market. The good news is that across the country the job market is picking up, with unemployment at record lows. For employers, this means they must up the ante to attract and retain top talent. One way to stand out from the competition is to offer a spectacular benefits plan. Here are the top employee benefits for attracting top talent in a tightened market. Pay for professional memberships . Studies show that the number of companies that cover the cost of professional memberships has risen 20 percent over the past several years. For employers, this is a relatively inexpensive perk, with typical memberships running several hundred dollars per year. Employees will appreciate the monetary savings, and the fact they have networking opportunities available to them through membership in these organizations. Chances are, they will bring fresh new ideas back to the company. Offer legal assistance . While this benefit may not be top of mind for many companies, companies offering this benefit has nearly doubled recently. Legal assistance plans can work in many ways. A common scenario is to treat it like health insurance, with a minimal deduction from the employee's paycheck, coverage of common needs such as purchasing a house or handling debt collection, and employees can hire attorneys covered under the plan. Employers may also want to reach out to local attorneys. Ramp up wellness programs . Wellness programs have been realizing huge success. They show that the employer is invested in employees' well-being, both in and out of the workplace. There are so many wellness initiatives and programs, employers can really get creative. Paid gym memberships, yoga classes, weight loss programs, mental health services, and offering seasonal flu vaccines are some of the most popular initiatives. Allow employees to work remotely . Progressive employers realize that offering the option to work remotely, either from home or another location, makes employees happier, more productive, and more loyal to the company. Research shows that employees who work remotely are nearly half a day more productive than their colleagues in the office on a weekly basis. About Clarity Benefit Solutions:  Clarity Benefit Solutions  provides technology that makes the health insurance plan selection process fast, easy, and straightforward. For over two decades, we have provided clients with industry-leading technology, compliance, and exceptional customer service. Our offering is designed to save time and lower the costs of managing benefits while also promoting employee self-service and automated ACA compliance.

CareerBuilder, a global leader in HR technology, released the findings of its annual study, which revealed that 40 percent of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in 2019, and 47 percent plan to recruit part-time workers. Hiring for full-time employees and part-time or contract workers is on par with the 2018 report, which was 44 percent and 51 percent last year, respectively.   2019 Hiring By Numbers There is demand for full-time workers, as 50 percent of human resource managers say they currently have open positions for which they cannot find qualified candidates. However, there are candidates ready to take on those roles. Across all skills levels, 32 percent of workers are looking to change jobs in 2019. When asked why they left their last job, employees cited low compensation or a lack of benefits (15 percent) and poor company culture (10 percent) as the reason for leaving.   "The employment outlook is positive with 40 percent of employers looking to hire full-time, permanent employees. While a skills gap has created an environment where employers are having trouble finding qualified talent, employees' and companies' mutual dedication towards competency-based training indicates we have made leaps and bounds toward eliminating these obstacles; we've found that 59 percent of employers plan to train and hire workers who may not be 100 percent qualified but have potential," said Irina Novoselsky, CEO of CareerBuilder. "Technological innovation will continue to be a driving force in defining the labor market for both in demand jobs and how companies recruit for open roles. At CareerBuilder, we're excited to be at the forefront of developing technologies to streamline the hiring process and make finding the right candidates more effective and efficient." The national surveys, which were conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from December 20, 2018 to January 16, 2019, included representative samples of 1,021 hiring managers and human resource managers and 1,010 full-time U.S. workers across industries and company sizes in the private sector. Employment and Hiring Trends to Watch in 2019 Candidates' soft skills are increasingly important when applying to jobs.  Ninety-two percent of employers say soft skills, including interpersonal skills, communication abilities, and critical thinking, will be important in determining whether they will hire candidates. Eighty percent also said that soft skills would be equally or more important than hard skills when hiring candidates, since specific technical skills are necessary for some jobs. The top skills that employers will be hiring for in 2019 are the ability to be team-oriented (51 percent), attention to detail (49 percent), and customer service (46 percent). Opportunities for job seekers are available year-round.  Fifty-one percent of hiring managers recruit throughout the calendar year for positions that may open up later on. Of those who continuously recruit, 55 percent say this reduces their time-to-hire and 42 percent share it reduces cost-per-hire. Companies and job seekers are willing to invest in tech training.  Fifty-five percent of employers believe that, on average, 50 percent or more of all jobs include tech requirements, and 56 percent have paid for employees to get skills-based training outside the office, so they can move up to a higher-skill job within their organization. However, 66 percent of employees say their company does not offer educational opportunities or workshops outside of work hours to teach them new skills they could use in their jobs. Of those employees, 73 percent say they would be somewhat or extremely likely to participate if such opportunities were offered. Convenience and culture may be more important than compensation.  Employees cite factors like location (56 percent), affordable benefits plans (55 percent), job stability (55 percent), a good boss (48 percent), and good work culture (44 percent) as more important than salary when considering a position. Compensation is on the rise.  Twenty-nine percent of employers expect the average increase in salaries for existing employees to be five percent or more in 2019 compared to 2018.   Recruiting Trends to Watch for 2019 The job seeker experience is paramount : HR managers (36 percent) cite improved user experiences for candidates, employees, and hiring managers as a top priority for recruitment and HR management going into 2019. Efficiency is critical : HR managers also say helping recruiters to be more efficient in filling roles faster with higher quality candidates (29 percent) and expediting background checks (24 percent) are seen as top priorities for recruitment and HR management going into 2019. Streamlined communication : Twenty-two percent of HR managers believe technology will be most beneficial in helping manage and maintain regular communication with job candidates during the application process. To simplify the process, CareerBuilder's new TD Companion App enables hiring managers to communicate directly with candidates through text message and email. Speak the same language:  Recruiters speak one language and candidates speak another; it's no wonder 39 percent of HR managers say technology would be most beneficial in helping with sorting through applicants to identify top candidates and remove candidates that are not qualified. CareerBuilder has crossed the language barrier with the use of AI and semantic search to halve the applicant to hire ratio. Perfecting the process : Bad hires can negatively affect companies, and the main ways they impacted employers' businesses last year were less productivity (28 percent), they negatively impacted employee morale (25 percent), and they drove up costs for recruiting and training other workers (24 percent). Additionally, employers who have had a bad hire affect their business in the past year estimate the average cost of a bad hire is more than $18,700. Top Areas for Hiring in 2019 As new technologies are constantly introduced, legacy industries are being transformed and the need for workers with specialized, high-tech capabilities is on the rise. In Demand Areas for Hiring Jobs tied to skilled labor: 25 percent Jobs tied to data analysis: 21 percent Jobs tied to digital marketing: 12 percent Jobs tied to cyber security: 11 percent Jobs tied to AI and machine learning: 10 percent Jobs tied to healthy living: 10 percent Hiring by Region: Where Employers Are Hiring Full-Time, Permanent Employees West: 44 percent South: 42 percent Northeast: 37 percent Midwest: 35 percent For more information, visit  CareerBuilder.com .