Good people are always hard to find. The best candidates will check out your reputation thoroughly before they even consider showing up for an interview. With that in mind here are seven ways for an organization to establish the reputation it will need to attract and retain Doers.

1. During the interview process communicate the right message, and make sure it is accurate. If you want to attract good people, you cannot just flash dollar signs before their eyes. You must be able to convey that they will be esteemed for who they are, for their unique skills, and for the value they add to the organization. External motivators like salary and benefits now have a limited shelf life. The enduring attractions to Doers are the opportunity to grow in their profession, to make a meaningful difference, and to achieve something within an organization they could not accomplish on their own.
2. During the first two weeks on the job, make the new hires feel welcome. Reconfirm three points: 1) the reason they were hired, 2) what you expect of them, and 3) how their contributions will be measured. The challenge is to connect new employees as soon as they are hired and not let them swim around in circles struggling to keep their head above water. Doers want to know from the start that what they are doing is in line with their own career objectives as well as appropriate for the company.
3. Assign peer coaches and mentors to guide new employees, rather than criticizing, ignoring or teasing them. What makes new hires feel most welcome during their first few days on the job is how their peers treat them. Being ridiculed or made the brunt of pranks and jokes creates an atmosphere of animosity. Research shows that it is the most competent, functional workers who are the first to flee a hostile environment. Veterans have an important part to play in bringing rookies up to speed and helping them to fit in fast and find job satisfaction quickly.
4. Ensure that someone at the executive level is always available to solve significant problems. This lets Doers know that the chain of command is working and that someone with authority is easy to locate. The designated executive needs to be inside the company, not away at a conference or tied up in a meeting. When senior leaders are accessible, Doers have the satisfaction and the validation of receiving feedback from those they respect. One cannot underestimate how inspiring this is.
5. Expect managers to form teams and act in a team-like fashion. If Doers do not see teamwork modeled from above, there is no inspiration for them to make the necessary compromises to work together cooperatively. Companies without teamwork develop a reputation for dissent, not cooperation. Doers then feel disconnected and vulnerable, especially during times of change, and they can find no collective sense of accomplishment.  In addition, it is hard for them to measure their own growth because they feel as if they are operating in a vacuum. An achiever cannot have an accurate sense of accomplishment if he or she is the only one measuring.
6. Insist that supervisors give frequent evaluations, provide honest feedback, and address poor performance and inappropriate behavior in a timely way. Evaluations contribute to the overall morale of the workforce; the immediate feedback clears up confusion, reinforces excellence, and helps reassure people that their growth within the company is on track. Hard work is recognized, which provides Doers with the incentive to reach for even loftier goals. Addressing poor performance is important because it reassures Doers that the company’s status as a place that rewards excellence and discourages substandard work is well deserved.
7. Create an atmosphere where Doers can make complaints, acknowledge criticism, challenge inconsistencies, and communicate negative information upward without risk of retribution. These behaviors establish the organization as a place where open communication is the norm. Doers want assurances that they will, in fact, be supported for trying to rectify problems, not penalized for it, that honesty counts, and that they do not have to suffer the frustration of avoiding the truth. Achievers must trust that their mistakes can be corrected without fear that it will be held against them and hamper their career path. In the end, the only thing that should be measured or remembered is success.

Contrary to popular beliefs about the cold-hearted world of work, business is still about people and how they work together. But workplace relationships take time to develop, and in this day of rapid change and fast turnaround, time is at a premium.

The first thing to suffer is often the rapport between Doers. In this tight employment market a business must foster an environment that promotes harmony, boosts morale, supports creativity, encourages honest communication, and reduces anxiety.