Jump ship

"If you want to have better employees, start by appreciating the ones you already have, or they won't be around for long"
I read this quote somewhere, I don't take credit for this. In a tough economy, voluntary downturn is not a problem. Infact, companies struggling to reduce costs may embrace the fact that employees are leaving voluntarily if they are not laid off. At the same time,most employees are also hunkering down not bothering to look for opportunities. But with the turn around in the economy it could be a different story all together. Last year saw the worse economic downfall where the salaries went down south and jobs became a rarity with most companies freezing on the hiring. The most common HR dialogue" Due to the recession we will not be able to pay you a certain amount which we used to pay earlier ". For senior management this reduction is justified as the balance is covered in variable pay but for the executive level it really doesn't matter.Also while hiring, the negotiation that happens on the table is unbelievable. But due to the need base the candidate has no choice but to agree. Companies, who now see the previous salaries while deciding on the current pay have to change their view of seeing the candidacy of a potential employee. If the companies want to hire the best talent then they cannot falter on the green notes as once the upturn starts surely the hopping and jumping would become a common scenario. Personally I feel that a candidate should be offered what the profile demands and what his/her candidacy deserves, as the candidate will not fall in the recession trap again. Internal compensation correction should also be one of the retention strategies to retain the best employees. After all, end of the day its a symbiotic relation and no CEO at the end of a good day can say its all because of my effort and after a bad day turn around and say its all your fault.