There is one question I often hear when I talk with business leaders in Greenland:
Where are we going to find the people we need?
It is a fair question. Many companies struggle to recruit the workforce and the skills they need.
But I think we need to ask one more question.
What are we actually doing to keep the people we already have?
Because getting better at recruiting only helps so much if people keep walking out the door.
Recruitment doesn’t solve everything
When an employee leaves, you rarely lose just a name on the schedule.
You lose experience, relationships, knowledge of your customers, an understanding of how the workplace runs, and often an important part of the daily teamwork.
A new hire has to be recruited, introduced, trained and given time to find their place in the organization.
That takes time. It takes resources. And it affects the colleagues who have to keep things running in the meantime.
That is why retention is not only about well-being.
It is also good business.
And in Greenland in particular, where recruiting in many industries can be both difficult and costly, I believe companies have every reason to pay even closer attention to this part of leadership.
People need to be seen and heard
I fundamentally believe that people want to make a difference.
But that requires them to feel that their work matters and that they have a place in the team.
So in my view, retention starts with something quite simple:
Meeting our employees as people.
Knowing their names. Listening to their experience. Being clear about expectations. Giving honest feedback. And showing respect for the work they do.
That applies to the entire organization.
From the executive floor to the front desk, from administration to operations, from the middle manager to the newest hire.
No one should be invisible.
It’s not enough to be employed by a company. People should also feel that they belong there.
Hostmanship begins inside your own walls
For many years, I have worked with hostmanship as a fundamental way of approaching people.
And to me, good hostmanship doesn’t begin at the front door when the customer walks in.
It begins on the inside.
In the way we welcome a new colleague. In the way we speak to each other. In the way we handle disagreement. And in the interest we show in the people around us.
Openness. Respect. Involvement. Clarity. Responsibility and integrity.
These aren’t just values for a poster on the wall.
They have to be felt in everyday work.
Because if we want employees who meet customers with commitment, respect and responsibility, they need to experience the same approach from their own leaders.
The immediate manager makes the difference
When we talk about retention, it is tempting to start with pay, benefits and other financial terms.
Of course they matter.
But I believe we also need to care far more about the quality of day-to-day leadership.
How is an employee met when something goes wrong?
Is there room to ask questions?
Is good work noticed?
Are expectations clear?
And does the employee have a chance to grow?
This is where middle managers play a decisive role.
They are close to the employees and are often in the best position to spot problems before they grow.
But that requires middle managers to get the support, skills and time they need to actually lead people – not just manage schedules and solve the practical problems of the day.
Retention also requires expectations
Putting people first is not the same as asking less of them.
Quite the opposite.
I believe in clear expectations, accountability and consistent follow-up.
Employees need to know what the company expects of them. What they are responsible for. And what it takes to succeed.
But expectations have to go both ways.
The company also has to live up to its responsibility as a workplace.
That means proper onboarding, good working conditions, respectful communication, room to grow, and leaders who do what they say.
You don’t build a strong workplace culture just by talking about responsibility.
You build it by taking responsibility yourself.
When we recruit internationally
International workers are already part of everyday life in many Greenlandic companies.
That places additional demands on leadership.
People who come to Greenland from other countries don’t just have to learn a new workplace.
They often also have to settle into a new society, a different culture and perhaps a language they don’t yet speak.
Good onboarding, clear communication, respect for different backgrounds and an inclusive team can make a real difference here.
And that approach should, of course, apply to every employee – whether they were born in Greenland or have come here from other parts of the world.
A strong team isn’t built by making everyone the same.
It is built by creating a shared direction and a culture where people can contribute their different experiences and skills.
And then there is all the paperwork
For many leaders, the challenge begins long before the international employee’s first day at work.
Work and residence permits, documentation requirements, application processes and dialogue with the authorities can be both complicated and time-consuming.
I know these issues from my own work with international recruitment and applications to SIRI, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration.
And I know how much leadership time can disappear when you try to find your way through rules, documentation and processes while day-to-day operations still have to run.
This is also where I can contribute experience, an overview and help structuring and coordinating the process when a company needs it.
Not because the paperwork is a goal in itself.
But because well-prepared recruitment gives both the company and the new employee a better start.
And because leadership time is best spent where it creates the most value.
The best hire may be the employee who stays
Throughout my career, I have seen how much good leadership can mean for both people and results.
And I believe retention deserves a far more central place in a company’s strategic work.
Not as yet another HR project.
But as a leadership task with a direct impact on quality, productivity, customer satisfaction and the bottom line.
Because every time we keep a skilled employee, we also keep some of the experience and the community the company is built on.
That is valuable.
A question for you
Think about the last few people who left your company.
Do you actually know why they left?
And even more important:
Do you know why your best people choose to stay?
If not, that could be a good place to start.
Because part of the answer to tomorrow’s workforce challenges may already be inside your own walls.
Do you want to strengthen retention, develop your middle managers or build a workplace where more people take responsibility and feel at home? Or do you need experienced help getting an overview of international recruitment and SIRI-related processes?
Then I’d be glad to have a no-obligation conversation about where your company stands and how I can help in practice.