One of the biggest challenges to a start-up enterprise is to attract and keep competent and highly talented employees. Often times they are concerned about the long-term viability of a new business and are concerned about job security. The goal for you is to attract these employees because their established skills will greatly improve your bottom line and in fact the ultimately the success of your business.

How to present the upside:

• Far more potential for true advancement and input equals greater job satisfaction
• Autonomy and share in decision making
• Lead a department or team and share in hiring choice

Though this does not change risk it does increase reward. These are particularly effective for top tier employees who may value these things more than just base pay scale for the increased job satisfaction. Middle level employees from larger firms are good places to look as they are bored, underutilized, and very aware of limits in upside potential.

How to retain your most talented employees

Most importantly, deliver on what you promised. Give some small freedoms in completion of work process as maybe they have ideas that will increase productivity. Consider offering to pay for additional certifications training that may help your business.  Mentor and give attention and recognition.  These small things are the difference in motivation a job satisfaction that will allow you to hold onto the best and foster a committed workplace focused on achieving all tasks.

Once you have the best possible employees, take a serious look at the effectiveness of all. This can be tricky as you may work with the junior employees substantially less than the supervisors and managers. This is where automated talent management software that allows you to make objective fact focused decisions on employees is an invaluable tool.

Some guidelines to consider

It is far cheaper to train a good employee than it is to find a new one. Whether to train yourself bring in consultants or even send employees of for training is up to you. If you have been using tracking software it may give a good indication of which would be the most effective method.

An excellent cost effective method would be to consider online or computerized training programs. These allow excellent flexibility in staffing requirements while ensuring your key employees are available as needed for daily operations. This is where the talent management software excels. Even smaller businesses are afforded top-notch training and skills program.

Another excellent reason to consider computer based training programs is so that you can effectively monitor it day or night and see where in the program they have progressed to. This allows slight adjustments of schedules to ensure all are done in a timely manner for review.

By finding the right employees to start with, taking steps to ensure your best employees have challenges and job satisfaction, and an ingoing training and support program for through in house trainers or software, you will be on the right track for success.