Corporate Meetings and Employee Retention

The Economist magazine recently had a series of article on "The Search for Talent" (subscription required).  In one of the articles, they mentioned two things people want from their employer:  a sense of being part of a team or community, and solid training for advancement.

That leads me to your corporate meetings.  Include plenty of social activities that bring people together.  I personally like to have a drink or two with my colleagues, but make sure the environment is also inviting for those who don’t drink.

Include real content in the meetings.  It’s not enough to have the CFO drone on about financial results (apologies to the rare CFOs who don’t drone on), or a motivational speaker.  Give your people some knowledge that they can apply.

Shameless plug: a good high-content but lively presentation would be me explaining to managers how to integrate economic news into their decision-making.  This is a large part of my forthcoming book.