Recruiting and retention: High tech. High touch. High satisfaction.

Today’s workforce expects high-tech interactions to be an integral part of their job. Sometimes lacking in the equation is the commitment to high touch—where employees are valued, respected, acknowledged, and encouraged daily by their colleagues and company.

At Concord, this is firmly in mind—starting with recruiting, and continuing through hiring, onboarding, training, mentoring, education, and retention programs. Having fun along the way is standard operating procedure.

Notes Alexis Short, Concord Vice President of Human Resources, “We look for employees who add to our culture, not just fit in with it. New perspectives, ideas and mindsets contribute to making the company—and everyone working here—that much better and more productive. We focus, too, on what’s meaningful to candidates because at the end of the day, the fit has to be mutually beneficial.”

The corporate culture strongly supports an open-door policy, where employees are encouraged to express their points of view and offer recommendations to strengthen the company. Notes Short, “People can share candidly and completely in a safe environment where their opinions are valued, and their ideas can be implemented without a lot of red tape. Everyone gets time with our executive team to express how they’re feeling and explain how and where improvements can be made.”

Training is a primary focus both with new and established employees. “We provide feedback constantly, and stress open communications in training. It’s more than employee development. We’re aiming to ensure engagement, and a commitment to retention that exists on both sides. We focus on long-terming planning for their futures,” Short says.

She adds, “A family-type environment with substantial flexibility, emphasis on team collaboration, interacting with a growing staff, and excellent benefits—complemented by rewards and recognition along the way—defines our company.”

The workforce is multi-generational. In turn, this has prompted changes and improvements for everyone. Says Short, “Everyone has their own ideas of what respect, effective communication and valuable contribution look like. While there are generational preferences, the idea is to break down stereotypes, view everyone as a unique individual with unique needs, and figure out the most collaborative way to proceed. That leads to happier, more productive employees, predictably top-notch hires, and client satisfaction as a result.”

She points out, “The end result of all this is to drive accountability and responsibility down through the organization, so that everyone works at their best in roles best suited to them. In some cases, this involves moving into additional positions; in others, it focuses on taking on expanded challenges in their present positions.”