b'WHAT DO EMPLOYEES WANT? Its more difficult than ever to attract and retain talented employees. This list of five essential basics from SmartBrief could help:Clarity Ensure people know what theyre expected to do, why its meaningful, and what success looks like.Equipping People want to experience success at work, so make sure they have the skills and tools to accomplish their jobs well. That should include training, communicating, collaborating, and cultivating each person. Respect Treat employees with dignity and care, acknowledging and appreciating different backgrounds, perspectives, and needs within your workforce.Trust Provide your employees with freedom and support to make decisions and carry them out. People will likely perform with excellence and produce results when you trust them to figure out the best way to do their jobs. Recognition and Appreciation Employees want to know that you see them and that you value their work. When people feel fairly compensated financially, then other types of awards and recognition can be very effective. BUILD VALUABLE MENTORING PROGRAMS Alaina Love, author of The Purpose Linked Organization: How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results makes these suggestions for creating mentoring programs that benefit all the participants: The program should be inclusive and timebound. Commit to a specific time frame for each mentor/mentee relationship. Set broad qualifications for consideration and ensure that candidates come from a variety of departments and levels within the organization. Establish trust quickly. To facilitate a meaningful relationship, start by having mentors and mentees share their deepest beliefs, values, passions, and purpose.Learn together. There is an opportunity for business knowledge to be applied to new environments, for flexibility, and for growth for both mentees and mentors. Both should each keep other accountable for progress toward their respective goals. Skillbuilding opportunities are part of the framework. Mentors should generate specific learning sessions throughout the year to enhance their own leadership skills and take responsibility for reinforcing the concepts they want their mentees to adopt. Management exposure is key. Mentees need opportunities to interface with individuals at senior levels who could influence their career growth, not just lowerlevel staff.JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG 47'