In the battle for quality talent, there is a danger of settling into the status quo of ho-hum maintenance and recruitment, both of which can be time-consuming and costly. The way to combat this is to become more inventive and engaging with the workforce around you. Not doing so almost guarantees losing valuable corporate alumni and then working to replace them with no guarantee of getting an equally valuable person to fill the abandoned slot. 

Retaining and developing the talent within your organization is really the preferred option. But, let’s face it, there are simply times when employees leave and retention is outside the organization’s ability to keep them. So, what’s the next best thing? 

Simple, maintain a relationship with your company’s corporate alumni. Use an alumni engagement program to network and possibly attract back the talent which you already invested in. By doing so, you have a way to get the knowledge and skillsets back into your company. Knowing and accepting that employees will leave, what steps can you take to keep doors open to their return?

Environment 

Having a good work environment can not only keep employees, but it can also bring them back. Ask yourself, “How can our work environment be tweaked to not only play a vital role within the organization now but also to maintain future relationships?” A couple of ideas would be to encourage mentorships, skill development plus personal growth opportunities, and company events/socials where friendships can be cultivated. Then, if and when employees leave, you have valid reasons to continue to stay in touch with the corporate alumni.

Learn

How do you treat leaving employees? Are you tapping into the wonderful chance to learn from your existing employees?  Wise employers welcome honest feedback and insight that can be gathered from leaving employees. Why are they truly leaving? What could you have done to have kept them? Be humble, cordial and supportive of their decision but look for where you can make your company better. Doing so makes them feel appreciated and tells them they have a possible door open should they ever wish to return.

Keep Engaging

Engaging employees through employee reward programs or employee loyalty programs are a great way to keep them. But, what about after they leave? Not doing so is essentially like leaving money on the table. Think about it this way, as people are increasingly switching companies, they are also gathering valuable insights and experiences. If you engage them as they’re leaving and insert them into a corporate alumni engagement platform, you’ll be able to keep an eye on their skills, their success, and perhaps even where they are located so should the possibility arise, you can win them back. 

Hopefully, it’s apparent by now that corporate alumni and former employees can be essential for maintaining a bench of talented people with needed skills, solid working patterns/ethics, and a desire to grow. But, it also a great way to build a knowledge network, positive brand exposure, and a source of qualified alumni referrals. The good news is there are available alumni tools that can intelligently automate the entire process and make it easy to nurture your talent and support them even if they off-board. So, enhance your company today and tomorrow by making use of the right tools to get the talented pool back and possibly not even lose them in the first place.