The Employee Lifecycle

By guest author Mandy Skinner of The Wedge Group

In today’s competitive and ironfisted market, businesses are only as good as their employees.  It is this simple truth that makes the employee lifecycle so influential in the success of an organization.  The employee lifecycle is a model that follows the stages of an employee’s career within an organization from start to finish.

The first stage of the lifecycle involves the hiring, orientation, and on-boarding of the employee.  A comprehensive background screening during the hiring process can save a lot of frustration later in preventing theft, violence, and fraud.  Safeguarding your product and your employees is always a good plan.  After the candidate passes the screening, they must then begin the orientation process.  As we all know, first impressions are everything, so having a comprehensive process to do this well is imperative.  It gives the employee the impression that the company is well organized and takes care of their own.  In addition to fulfilling the required paperwork, a solid on-boarding program can set the stage for employee engagement and retention.  A program that integrates the new employee into the workplace culture as well as builds professional relationships, such as those developed with mentoring programs, work well to develop this commitment.

The next stage of the employee lifecycle is based on development.  By encouraging development in the employee, we are improving their capabilities as well as enthusiasm.  There are several ways to do this.  Training and development in leadership, team work, and technical skills will help to improve an employee’s skill set.  Another way is to engage employees on a personal level through perks such as health and wellness programs.  Although programs like these are indirect in the development of an employee, the return on investment is excellent, not to mention the improvements in employee morale and engagement.  It is no wonder that many of the world’s top performing companies are offering them.

Management plays a key role during this phase of the employee lifecycle.  Effective performance coaching and support from a strong leadership team can truly change a person’s life.  It can mean the difference between moving up and moving out for an employee.  When done well, effective management can also largely contribute to the realization of a company’s vision and mission.

The third step in the employee lifecycle involves transition.  Some people work in the same place for their entire careers, but the truth is most do not.  As skills and experience are developed, talent within the organization grows and allows for more staff movement internally.  Promoting from within has many benefits including greater employee engagement, smoother transition, and deeper loyalty.  Unfortunately from time to time, an employee may not be a good fit for the organization or the process of restructuring demands that employees be let go.  Regardless of the reason for transition, a smooth transition into new positions, retirement, or outside of the company relies on having processes in place to accommodate this movement.  Clear communication, expectations, timelines, and planning are key to developing this process. 

Just like any cycle, this process goes back to the beginning.  Once an employee transitions out of their position, it must be filled again bringing us back to the first stage of the employee lifecycle.  It is important to understand the process and work within it as effectively as possible to create the best team for your organization.

The Wedge Group, Inc. offers support to companies without Human Resource teams or in partnership with existing HR staff.  Our programs develop and implement the best system for getting the most out of and retaining engaged, productive, and steadfast employees.  Our background checks and on-boarding programs work to help you find and retain the best talent.  We also offer Leadership and Team Development, and Performance Coaching training to ensure that your employees are engaged and productive.  Succession Planning is a proven way to have a plan in place for all sudden changes within the work force and to have a solid Business Continuity Plan.  If you are looking for external motivators, our Corporate Health and Wellness Program have a proven track record and outstanding return on investment.  Career Transition Coaching has been a staple of our services from the beginning; we pride ourselves on providing employee support while cutting costs for the organization making the process much more efficient and positive.  Our commitment to providing the best support and service is what has kept us in business for over 30 years. 

For more information on getting the best out of each and every employee, please visit us at:

www.TheWedgeGroup.com

You can also contact us at JIhnotic@TheWedgeGroup.com or (607)772-9359 for further questions and inquiries.

About the author:

Mandy Skinner is the Head of Client Services at The Wedge Group, Inc., where she has worked with organizations such as Cornell University and Prudential Securities.  Her service and support are individualized to meet the changing and diverse needs of all The Wedge Group’s clients.