Guide to Retaining Employees
W
hy Should I Stay? or How to Engage Hearts and Minds of our People in this Chaotic Peri
o

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This follows up on the discussion we had at the last large lead team meeting
where John Millen agreed to work on how to engage people’s “hearts and minds”
in this time of transition. In the mean time, a number of events/decisions have taken
place and we believe this is critical we address the questions which is in a lot of our
people’s mind : “why should I stay with P&G for the next couple of years?”
This suggest ways to convince people that they should stay and proposes action
steps to make it happen successfully:
This recommendation is driven by feedback/input from the organisation (lots of one to one,
exit interviews, culture team focus groups, coaches lunch discussions, south consumer
team brand managers assessment of the current situation, hair care hopes and fears) and
theories on what motivates people (Mac Lelland, …). Detailed feedback available if you
wish. Our expected outcomes are twofold 1) we do not loose top performers or people with
potential and 2) re-energise people and re-focus them on what a great Company P&G is to
work for.
Suggested way to handle the question : “why should I stay?”
Step 1 : Understand the person you talk to, what is important to them, why they
liked working with P&G, what has changed and why? Their mobility constraints and
their personal/family situation are important. How they see their career prospects. In net,
you need to know them pretty well.
If it becomes a two way discussion, we have tools to help them further self assess
themselves and see why P&G is the right environment for them. What has worked best has
been to help them understand their Myers Briggs type and therefore understand the type of
company/environment/work that suits them best. We are a large company and we
value them therefore they can get what they want/need within P&G. For example,

Step 2 : Have one on one with people
(start with people at risk and with your top rated ) using the suggested approach as above
with all your people.
Step 3 : Create a compelling shared vision:
We need a clear exciting and shared vision, including our reason for being, what we stand
for and a sense of direction. We will need to work with a small team, may be the barrier
busters to start with and then enrol as many people as we can. We will have to translate
this vision into daily actions.
Step 4 : Sort out the roles. Clarify roles to reduce duplication and increase
accountability/ownership.
In consumer teams, role of the marketing people (I hear you are working this at WE MDO
level, any UK representative in this team?), role of the CMO people (is John Warren Piper
working this, who is he involving?)
In customer teams, roles of CBD people in consumer and customer and centre of expertise
teams and to a lesser extent role of marketing people in consumer and customer teams.
This needs to be led by a small team (consumer team leaders, JWP, JEM ??) and include
input/feedback of people.
Step 5 : Create a coaching culture
where you grow and learn, work is appreciated, you are credited and valued. This needs
to start from the top and be role modelled by us all.
Step 6 : Have a training programme.
This is often why people joined P&G in the first place and this is currently perceived as
missing. Have a plan for each team and each function focused towards building capability.
Make it very explicit. It is working in Asda and in Boots.
In net, We want to have people excited about winning and delighted about what is in it for
them. They will then believe they should stay working for P&G because it is great for them.
Winning is about : a bright picture of the future, a vision, great results, a simplified work
environment with sharing and no internal fights, a place where I can make a difference.
What is in it for me? means we will need to reward the right people at the right time, show
we care, appreciate, value people, create a BUZZZ where they see that what they should