Central MN Employee Recruitment and Retention Tips

Maintaining a a talented and dedicated workforce is the goal of nearly every Central Minnesota employer.  Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation Talent Director Gail Cruikshank joined me on WJON.

Top 10 Recruitment and Retention Tips for 2025

Tips for helping you attract/secure and retain top talent in 2025
1) Provide opportunities to listen to your employees ● Don’t make decisions without their input/opinions ● Suggestion box, internal listening opportunities, pitch ideas for feedback
2) Share your Vision and company results ● A shared vision creates loyalty of your employees ● Sharing the good and not so good results creates partnerships, allows input/ideas. Shows your transparency
3) Offer a variety of benefit options ● employees have different benefit needs throughout their career ● ask employees for the benefits they are most interested in ● Mental health resources for employees and their families with personal approach
4) Support your employees with child care resources ● In house care, flexibility in scheduling, funding support to pay for childcare
5) Ensure your company employees reflect your customers ● Employ international, immigrant candidates ● Language/communication resources to meet customer needs

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6) AI Procedures and Policies ● Tools provided to employees to sharpen efficiencies ● Rules/policies to ensure appropriate actions ● 40% of hr professionals say their company lack AI policies ● Potential risk for company
7) Code of Conduct for Employees Doing Side Hustle Jobs ● 41% of employees embark on side hustle jobs on company time, while half of employers lack policies to prevent it/police it. ● 61% of employees state they are doing side hustle jobs to make more money, make ends meet, pay bills, etc ● Side hustle jobs raise concerns about lower productivity (50%), decreased focus and attention to detail (47%) and reduced engagement (37%)
8) Ensure you have a growth/succession plan for each and every employee ● Upward, lateral, downward - every associate is entitled to a plan ● Helps with planning for promotions, retirements, reduction in hours, etc before that experience walks out the door.
9) Are you engaging with our future workforce ● Supporting our schools with your expertise ● provide job shadows ● participate in advisories, focus groups to support our education partners to ensure they are preparing our youth for careers of the future. 10) Employer of Choice Designation - GSDC Innovation Awards in Fall, 2025.

For more information go to www.greaterstcloud.com where you can find several employer resources. www.greaterstcloudshines highlights all you our community has to offer in addition to job opportunities within a 3 - county region.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Gail Cruikshank, it is available below.