Promoting your company as an employer of choice to your employees won’t work if they don’t believe it. So the first step is basic: Determine whether your people really choose to be there, or would change jobs if given an opportunity.

When workers have the requisite education and skills training, they will make conscious choices about their employment, including where to apply and whether to stay. When we wrote our book about the employment-choice concept, we researched how people make decisions about where they work.

We learned that eight criteria are used by the majority of respondents to our surveys:

• The company: Is the employer financially strong, respected and focused on the future?
• Culture: Are employees empowered, engaged, accountable? Do they look forward to coming to work because of the relationships between co-workers?
• Enlightened leadership: Are leaders accessible, communicative and sensitive to internal and external factors influencing corporate success? Do they ‘get it’?
• Care of people: Is work/life balance valued? Are employees encouraged to take care of themselves (wellness) and their families? Do policies regarding where, when and how people work emphasize flexibility?
• Meaningful work: Do all employees feel that their work is significant? Do they receive recognition for the difference they make in the lives of others?
• Growth and opportunity: Are training and education valued? Do all employees have an opportunity to learn and grow? Does the employer offer career growth potential?
• Compensation and benefits: Are people paid fairly for the work they do? How well tailored to the needs and interests of the employees are benefits programs?
• Making a difference: Does the employer facilitate opportunities for employees to volunteer their time and expertise to improve life for others--in the local community, around the country, around the world?

With these criteria in mind, do your research. Employee interviews, focus groups and attitude surveys will help you evaluate your situation. Listen carefully for areas in which employees feel your company is not up to par. Fix those problems. As people become more satisfied, they will choose to stay and deliver high performance.

SOURCE: Roger E. Herman, Herman Group, Greensboro, North Carolina., author of How to Become an Employer of Choice, April 3, 2006.

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. Also remember that state laws may differ from the federal law.