Want great employees? Become who you want to be

Finding and maintaining the "right fit" is a concern for employers and employees alike. Organizations need to attract and retain the right people in order to be successful today and viable tomorrow in a very competitive talent marketplace. What employers can control are organizational culture, how it is reflected in day to day work life, and the information communicated to the outside world.

Some best practices for employers to address:

Get a clear picture of who you are. Is there a disconnect between organizational leaders' view of their culture and what is actually going on? There are many ways to get a clear picture of employees' perceptions.

Conduct an Employee Engagement Survey. Based on the Management Association's experience, you'll discover some eye-opening perceptions and both simple and complex issues to address.

Conduct exit interviews to find out why employees are leaving.

Conduct "stay" interviews with current employees: Why did they join your organization? Why do they stay? What do they like most, and what do they suggest for improvement?

Meet with your management team to get their perceptions of daily operations.

Decide who you want to be. Have your leadership team clearly identify the cultural elements that define the organization you want to be.

Then, make a plan to address the disparities between your desired culture and what your employees actually experience.

Become who you want to be. An efficient process will provide you with specific information to achieve engagement and retention of employees. Your leadership team needs to align the culture you have with the culture you want.

Communicate and reinforce positive cultural elements.

Evaluate issues and gaps that surface to determine their relative importance to your organization. You don't have to agree with everything that employees suggest, but you do need to demonstrate that you appreciate and care about the information.

Prioritize actionable items and develop a plan for implementation.

Communicate plans and timelines to employees.

Tell the outside world who you are. While employee engagement and retention are the primary goals, you must also attract the level of talent that you need. Present an external message that is consistent with your internal culture. Your image in the talent marketplace will attract - or turn away - potential new employees.

Partner with marketing to enhance your website. It's not just for customers. Create an employee page to highlight your culture. Include videos of employees and talk about your organization's social responsibility.

Search your company name online. How are you portrayed on social media sites?

Ensure that your hiring managers are trained in effective interviewing strategies and can effectively communicate your culture.

Develop a structured, well thought-out plan for new hires to make them feel welcomed and part of the team. Onboarding starts with the first candidate interaction and should never stop.

Provide - and communicate - opportunities for development, growth and advancement. Utilize existing talent, including those who may be retiring in the next few years, to mentor and help develop newer talent.

Organizations and organizational leadership are in the business of selling. We sell our products or services to our customers, and we also need to continually sell our organization to employees and potential employees in order to recruit and to retain the most qualified talent.

• Candace Fisher is director - organizational development for the Management Association. Sue Winkler is manager - Engage HR for the Management Association.