Six Ways to Grow and Retain Leaders for the Long Haul
Nearly every business leader and HR executive can agree that one of the most important assets to a company or organization is its leadership. From the front lines to the boardroom, our leaders keep us up and running through massive growth or economic downturns.
For the food industry, leaders can do the most good or most harm when it comes to keeping food safe and profits growing. No technology or regulation will help keep our food supplies and bottom line healthy if a company fails to foster and retain good leaders (see “Ten Characteristics of a Great Leader,”). However, we also know how tough it is to prevent our best and brightest leaders from seeking other opportunities should they become stagnant or frustrated in their jobs. It’s equally difficult to identify future leaders using a conventional interview process.
Fortunately for TruFoodMfg, that hasn’t been a problem. Over the past 10 years, we have grown our employee base from 20 to more than 600. And in the last 5 years, during the height of our growth, we’ve managed to retain 95 percent of our leaders.
1. Start with the Handshake
We identify future leaders by building trust and an open line of communication from the very beginning, starting with the phone screen and job interview.