Re-Recruit

Re-recruit them. It was one of the suggestions in an article on how to keep your employees happy during the Great Resignation. It sounds a bit like marriage advice. How to keep a long-term partner happy? Act like it’s your first date, rekindle the magic.

It sounds trite, but I understand it. Employees are exhausted. Burned out becomes burned up. There is nothing more satisfying for the ego than to feel desired, to be wanted, to feel seen. Recruiters know this. They count on it. How can organization recognize their own employees? Start by acknowledging them — really see them. Work to understand what it’s like to do their job, to balance their responsibilities to work and home, to experience their pain points. Then do something about it. Fix the small things fast and the big things slow. Hint: small complaints are often a symptom of a larger dissatisfaction. It’s never actually about the parking or dress code. It’s about respect and trust.

“Re-recruit them” to me is about acknowledging a deepening relationship — a new phase with the potential to become a more satisfying partnership beyond the honeymoon.