Recruiting and Retention
Hire Smarter. Keep Them Longer.
Maine's tight labor market means finding and keeping good employees is harder than ever. Add in the seasonal nature of so many Maine businesses - you need a full crew by April, they're gone by October, and you're scrambling to rehire next spring - and it's exhausting. Another stack of resumes to review. Another round of interviews that lead nowhere. Another good employee just gave notice.
The problem isn't just wages. It's finding people who show up, fit your culture, and come back next year. Then it's keeping your year-round core engaged when everyone else has options.
I help Maine small businesses attract quality candidates, hire smart, and build workplaces people return to season after season.
Recruiting and Onboarding Support
Good hiring starts with clarity. Before you post another job ad or sort through another pile of resumes, you need the foundation right: descriptions that reflect reality, postings that attract the right people, and a process that doesn't waste your time on candidates who'll never work out.
Then once you've made the hire, you need them productive and connected fast. Here's how I help with each step:
Job Descriptions: Review, revise, or create clear job descriptions that accurately reflect the role, set proper expectations, and support wage/hour compliance. Often the best time to update outdated descriptions is when you're hiring.
Job Posting Strategy: Compelling job ads that attract the right candidates, posted where your ideal employees actually look.
Candidate Screening: Resume and application review to eliminate mismatches and save you hours.
Interview Support: Structured interview questions, initial phone screens, or in-person interview assistance to help you assess candidates effectively.
Reference & Background Checks: Coordination of reference checks and background screenings to verify employment history and credentials.
Offer Development: Competitive offer structuring including salary negotiation and terms that attract candidates without overpaying.
Onboarding Programs: Processes_ that get new hires productive quickly and connected to your team from day one.
Retention Strategies
Stay Interviews & Surveys: Find out why people stay or might leave before they give notice through confidential conversations and surveys.
Compensation Benchmarking: Know what competitors pay. I research local Maine market rates so you stay competitive.
Career Development: Create clear growth paths, even in small organizations, so employees see a future.
Performance Management: Simple, practical review processes with regular feedback and goal-setting that managers will actually use.
Recognition Programs: Meaningful recognition that celebrates wins and builds loyalty beyond just money.
Exit Interviews: Confidential interviews that reveal patterns and problems you can fix before losing more good people.
Culture Assessment: Identify what's driving turnover and develop action plans to improve your workplace.
Why This Matters
The cost of turnover:
Recruiting and training costs for each replacement
Lost productivity during vacancy and ramp-up
Mistakes from inexperienced staff
Overtime covering vacant positions
Team morale damage when good people keep leaving
Impact on customer service and quality
For seasonal businesses: The difference between rebuilding your entire team every spring versus having 60-70% return is massive for your bottom line and sanity.
Who This Helps
Maine businesses struggling with:
Constant turnover and endless hiring cycles
Seasonal hiring and rehiring challenges
Spending too much time screening bad applicants
Losing good people to competitors or year-round employers
First-time managers who don't know how to hire
Competition from larger employers with bigger budgets
The Seneca HR Approach
I don't just fill seats. I help you build teams. That means understanding what makes your business special, what kind of people will thrive there, and what it takes to keep them engaged and coming back.
RECRUITING
My Lived Strengths Leadership approach focuses on finding complementary team members, not clones. You don't need five people with identical skills and styles. You need people whose strengths balance each other - the detail-oriented server who catches mistakes, the outgoing bartender who builds relationships, the calm kitchen manager who steadies the team during rushes.
I also look at non-traditional candidates, focusing on character, work ethic, and ability rather than a checklist of generic qualifications that have little to do with how effective someone will be in their role. Sometimes the best hires don't have the "perfect" resume - they have the right attitude and strengths to succeed. Better hires through complementary strengths equal better retention and better performance.
RETENTION
I help you create workplaces where people actually want to work - through culture, respect, growth opportunities, and consistent management, not just wages.
TURNING THE SIZE OF YOUR SMALL BUSINESS INTO AN ADVANTAGE
You might feel like the underdog when competing against year-round employers or larger companies with bigger budgets. But we don't try to beat them at their game; we win by playing ours. While they offer standardized roles and rigid policies, you offer impact and connection. I teach you how to market these specific "Small Business Advantages" to attract candidates who are looking for more than just a paycheck. Here is the framework we use to position you against the competition:
After four decades in management, one thing has become abundantly clear: you can absolutely attract staff with money, but you can't keep the ones you want with money alone. People accept a job for the rate of pay. They stay because of the culture and each other. If you focus only on wages as a retention strategy, you create a revolving door and starting pay rates that spiral upwards. People who come only for the money aren't invested in your business. But invest in their growth and well-being, and they'll reciprocate. The real work is building a workplace where employees want to stay because they want to succeed with you. That's what I help you do.
How We Work Together
I work the way you need me to work. Whether you need ongoing support, a one-time project, or extra hands during your busy season, I'm flexible.
Nearly Full-service recruiting: I can handle "almost" everything from job posting through offer acceptance. You interview finalists and make the final decision.
Seasonal hiring surge: Need help ramping up before tourists arrive? I can jump in for a month or two to help get your team onboard. Why hire a year round person to help, when your hiring needs are sporadic.
Employee referral program development: I'll work with your current team to activate their networks, creating a system where your best employees help you find your next great hires.
One-time project support: Expanding? Opening a new location? Adding a new position? I'll help you hire for that specific need.
Hiring process consulting: I build your recruiting system and train your team to run it themselves going forward, including how to interview effectively, evaluate candidates, and make strong hiring decisions.
Retention strategy: I assess your situation, identify turnover causes, and develop action plans you implement.
Ongoing support: Monthly retainer for continuous recruiting assistance as positions open throughout the year.
Whatever your situation, we'll find an approach that fits your needs and budget.
What I Won't Do
(And why that's good for you...)
I don't spend your money on low-value tasks. Specifically, I don't do extensive candidate sourcing or cold outreach to find applicants.
Here's why: In today's market, I could burn through 40 hours (and your budget) chasing down potential candidates and come away with zero viable applicants. That's not a good use of your money or my expertise.
Instead, I focus on what actually works: writing compelling job postings that attract the right people, building systems that make your openings visible, and then expertly screening whoever applies. You get better results at a fraction of the cost.
If you need someone to hunt down passive candidates or manage a large-scale sourcing campaign, I'm happy to refer you to recruiters who specialize in that. But if you want smart, efficient hiring that respects your budget, let's talk.
Ready to Stop the Hiring Scramble and Keep Your Best People?
You didn't start your business to spend half your time recruiting and the other half wondering who's leaving next. Let's build a team that shows up, stays, and comes back next season.
Contact me for a free consultation. We'll talk about your specific challenges and figure out the most practical way I can help.