As many members of the British Business Group will know, there is an accelerated trend in the Abu Dhabi job market for talented members of staff, at all levels, to accept better offers and to move on elsewhere. It’s something that affects both small and large companies, whether locally-based or with foreign head offices,and this acceleration seems to be gathering momentum. For this issue of Capital Letter, therefore, I want to examine briefly the cost to employers of losing talented staff.

The obvious cost is, of course, the direct cost involved in providing a replacement, but there are many other consequential costs which can vary according to the talents of the individual concerned and their place within the organisation.

Most organisations have a mix of staff - key personnel, team players and paper shufflers.Thelossofanyofthese can result in:

• Loss of client goodwill
• Loss of clients to a competitor
• Loss of business secrets
• Loss of competitive edge
• Loss of time training
• Loss of experience
• Loss of morale and motivation among remaining staff
• Loss of momentum
• Loss of credibility
And more….

In a nutshell the loss of staff means, loss of efficiencyand,inturn,alossofrevenue,the magnitude of which is difficult to predict.

The loss of key personnel who know the psychology of the organisation can be extremely detrimental in the short term and can lead to a catastrophic situation if the gap remains open for too long.The loss of team players can also completely destabilise the spirit of a team and result in a lack of confidence in the leadership of the organisation.

The loss of paper shufflersisgenerallyviewed as being the least important, despite the fact that simple day-to-day functions, when not handled in a certain spirit, can have a much bigger impact than can be easily imagined.

Trying to promote internally without a succession plan strategy already being in place, can result in a staff member being moved into a position which he or she cannot handle. Worryingly, such a mistake in an internal promotion does not always come to light immediately.

A negative scenario, of course, is when a paper shuffler is promoted into a managerial position, which is, I suspect, something that all of us have seen happen.

A positive scenario, on the other hand, can be when new blood is brought in, hopefully bringing to the organisation new eyes, new energy and innovative ideas and, hopefully, a chance for the organisation to recoup.

If you are looking for new blood, please contact ABC Recruitment on 02-6765885.

Christine Bond is Founder and Managing Director of ABC Recruitment