The highly professional firms such as law firm, copyright application, accountant as well as some sectors of services, eg. Luxury restaurants have the same common issues.
They have to train their staff but once they’ve got skills and experiences, they easily leave the original place and open their own business or they eventually get head hunted by big name entities.
Inamori understands the concerns of Andy, the president of a copyright law firm. Reviewing Andy’s story, Inamori mentioned tips to retain skilled staff in your company.
The tips are as follows and this article focuses on 4-6
1 Develop clear mission and vision
2 Keep endeavor to convince the staffs
3 Demonstrate the improved performance
4 Be the only one, not the number one
5 Let them go
6 Screen staff
4 Be the only one, not the number one
Uniqueness is another key feature for the president to retain staff. People would like to work for the company which can give them opportunities to grow. Some large companies have been quite conservative in terms of challenges however, if a staff can find the corporate culture to be innovative where his/ her challenge is encouraged and allowed, he/ she would be able to be fond of that company. Therefore, maintaining its unique value seems to be extremely important.
Therefore, from the very beginning, Kyocera has been a company where an employee who challenged a new business, even though they eventually failed, have been considered as the most respected ones.
5 Let them go
This has something to do with Karma theory under Buddhism. Those who were born with their Karma have to complete their missions in their current lifetimes. Inamori said, changing the working place looks somehow escaping from the problem which he was supposed to be facing. He should have struggled with the problems appearing in front of him. However, everyone has the best timing to resolve his Karma. So meanwhile, as long as he is running away from his Karma, he would never get fulfilled.
Do not chase those who are trying to escape from their missions in this lifetime, as their “assignment “ would certainly come back to them in due course.
Sometimes letting them go may work for the leaving staff to realize his life theme , which he will be forced to face sometime later in his life.
6 Screen staff
The last point is this. The selection and screening is not only one-way action but two-ways: both side analysis should be conducted.
Once before, younger talented staff used to say that Kyocera’s salary was low and the staff turn over was high.
I think that evaluation was true. In a company like Kyocera, where staffs fulfillment has always been the highest mission to be realized, people tend to learn altruism. Staff are required to work for others, and are sometimes forced to keep simple routines to learn devoting themselves for others.
Most people can’t stand in such an environment. Even so-called elite staff,they would complain how Kyocera treats them. Those who are obsessed with egoism and are not interested in their life fulfillment may not be the good candidate for Kyocera staff. Therefore, while the staff screen company, the company itself can screen staff.
Companies must proactively screen staff: who would best fit its culture and who could be most fulfilled under the established corporate value.
The following are tips to retain professional staff.
1 Develop clear mission and vision
2 Keep endeavor to convince the staffs
3 Demonstrate the improved performance
4 Be the only one, not the number one
5 Let them go
6 Screen staff
Among them, setting up a corporate mission looks fundamentally important. Once you set
Further queries or doubts, please email to ytomizuka@abrilsjp.com
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