Whether you're a startup looking for your first employees, a small business with a crew of local talent, or an established company head-hunting for new team members, companies are always on the lookout for ways to keep talented employees happy and stay onboard.
However, the reality of work-life balance is that people often start to feel unfulfilled no matter how great the position is. If this situation sounds familiar and you find yourself constantly struggling to retain key talent in your company, these tips may help.
No matter how much your employees are being paid, they will be tempted to move on if they don't feel appreciated. This major factor turns even the best employees into job jumpers. If you want to retain your talent, make sure they know how much you appreciate their work. Sending handwritten notes hosting lunches and award ceremonies will go a long way in showing them that you understand them as highly as their expertise and contributions.
Many people believe that lunch breaks are meant for relaxation, but this is far from the truth. Most employees hit the ground running when they start their day and forget that it's important for morale to take a short break. Laying down some form of guidelines for taking lunchtime will make your employees feel appreciated because they know that you're genuinely concerned about their workflow.
If you dismiss someone without letting them know how you feel, they will project the same attitude onto other team members. It can easily lead to a toxic personality that infects the whole team. Employee discontentment is likely to affect every other employee on your team and create a more hostile atmosphere than a positive one in the workplace. So if you want to retain your talent, try adopting a more supportive and caring tone when dismissing people.
If you believe in your employees' ability and decide to give them a big raise, you must be sure that their performance justifies it. It can quickly alienate your team members, especially as they are likely to use this raise to compete with others in the same position. Here, it's best to stick to one or two raises at the end of each year, rather than giving more than is required.
Sometimes, members of the workforce will find themselves short of time to attend staff meetings, discouraging them from coming to work. Maintaining flexible working hours will help you retain your talented employees. Also, make it a point to ensure that work-life balance is in place as much as possible at all levels in the company. It will help keep your talented employees engaged and happy and reduce their chances of leaving.
Finally, show concern for your employees' well-being. If you have a new pregnant employee or has family problems, you should be able to lend them an ear to listen to their concerns and empathize with them. Supporting your people in their private lives will help them feel closer and more committed to the company.
Employees who feel that they aren't being adequately equipped for success will quickly look elsewhere for opportunities that better meet their skill set and career goals. Ask yourself: How can I help my employees best reach their goals?
Providing a comfortable work environment and growth opportunities are critical to retaining top talent. Still, it's the emotional elements of your management style that will have the most significant impact. As much as you may be tempted to believe that they "just don't get it," the chances are good that your employees have figured out what you're up to. That realization will help them decide whether or not they stay on board.
If you're constantly looking for ways to improve the workplace and keep employees enthusiastic and happy, there is a lot you can do to make improvements.
From changing your company culture, reevaluating performance expectations, offering additional social benefits like life insurance or vacation time, rewarding good work not with salary increases but with promotions or perks instead: the list goes on.
Employers can help employees by providing them with information on their company's benefits. Let them know precisely what is included in their benefits and when they become available. A blessing can be as simple as a company car or as sophisticated as a health plan for dependents.
Why this is important:
Benefits are confusing because many companies offer benefits that have no connection to what you do, and neither your choice of health insurance provider nor the medical care you receive is directly related to your job performance. By educating employees on the benefits they will receive from their employer, they become more aware of their benefits and more motivated to work for your company.
Examples:
The American Society for Training & Development has created an online guide to benefits. For more information about benefits for employees and dependents, visit The Employee Benefits Council or The Society for Human Resource Management.
If your company is in the service industry and you have employees who want to work part-time, it should not be difficult to find a way for them to be able to reduce their hours if they need or want to. Employers mustn't forget that employees become less productive when they take fewer hours. Companies should consider moving some of their more valuable employees into a reduced schedule to provide a better work environment for the employees who remain on full-time status.
Why this is important:
Part-time employees will most likely be more productive than full-time employees because they can work at their own pace and not be "on-call". Reduced hours can support employees caring for children or elderly parents and help reduce the number of hours that an employee needs to cover.
Examples:
Some companies have a policy that calls for full-time employee to reduce their hours when a family member gets sick. In this situation, the employee can use accrued sick leave or vacation time to cover unpaid time off required by the company policy. The benefit of this approach is that it offers flexibility for both employees and employers and does not harm productivity if an employee works just as hard but for fewer hours.
The benefit of promoting from within is that it allows the company to promote an employee who already knows how everything works and understands how everything should work. These employees are better equipped to take on new responsibilities than someone outside the company.
Why this is important:
Promoting an employee who stays with your company is the best way to ensure that the person in charge of taking care of your business continues to do so. It also helps keep your employees happy because they can watch their careers go up and see their job titles change as they gain more experience within the company.
Examples:
Companies like Microsoft and IBM have developed programs that allow employees to increase in rank after a certain number of years. These programs help businesses by making them more competitive while at the same time allowing those who work hard to be rewarded. People are motivated to work harder when they see how their efforts are recognized and rewarded.
A simple way to boost employees' morale is to place an employee from another department or another team in charge of a group or department for a limited time. This idea offers employees an opportunity to work with each other. Still, it allows them the opportunity to work with someone superior to them or even in the same position.
Why this is important:
Employees can forget their position and feel more at ease by putting someone who has authority over them and a higher level of experience in charge. It will allow for better communication and improved relationships among employees because the employee can help others on their team become more motivated to do and learn more than they would have.
Examples:
Several companies offer employee recognition and awards programs in which employees from different departments or teams compete against each other against specific goals. At the end of a contest, the top scores are rewarded with either a cash bonus or a trip to an awards ceremony where prizes are given out.
Setting goals for the company should be done with input from all management and employees. Some companies set company-wide goals not specific to one department or team, while others focus on providing incentives for teams that reach particular milestones. The main goal is to make sure everyone gets their potential, thereby helping the company develop a more robust foundation as its expertise improves.
Why this is important:
A company with a specific goal in mind will accomplish more and perform better than a company that does not have a well-defined mission. If plans are detailed and challenging, employees will work hard to reach their potential.
Examples:
Nordstrom's department stores offer a bonus program to their employees based on departmental sales. Employees are awarded prizes once they have reached a certain level of sales. The rewards they receive range from gift cards to merchandise to charitable donations. In this way, Nordstrom motivates employees to achieve their goals as helpful as possible.
It's easy to find employees, but keeping them is challenging. Today, organizations are competing with one another for talent more than ever before. Even if you can offer something an employee is looking for (higher pay and benefits), the chances that they will stick around long-term are slim. To increase the chances of retaining your workforce, it's essential to implement a strategy that helps your company appeal in ways that other organizations cannot. If you know that the organization interviewing your employees does not have a plan to retain them, holding on to your employees is even more critical.
If you do not have a plan already and are unsure where to begin, implementing these three strategies will help your company retain its workers.
It can be done by communicating with them. When employees feel like they are not making a difference or being missed, they will be less motivated to stay. It is essential to communicate regularly with employees and ensure that the topics you discuss affect them.
It can be done by providing the right tools for them to use in whatever role they hold within your company. When you give employees the freedom to be creative and come up with new ways to make your business more successful, it shows them that your company is invested in their success.
It will help keep employee morale high and their motivation to succeed in their roles at your company. When employees feel like they are growing, they are more likely to stay instead of looking for other opportunities within the workplace or outside of it that better support the growth they desire.
As you know, the number one reason employees leave companies is because they feel that their skills are not being utilized. Consider changing it if you already have a retention strategy and do not include these three components. Implementing this type of strategy will help your business continue to thrive amidst an increasingly competitive workplace.
It is often hard to compete with more prominent companies' salaries as a small business. However, if you give them all the love and attention they deserve and let them work on projects that interest them, you might be able to create an environment where employees don't want to leave.
Communication is key. Make sure you tell your employees what they are doing right and what they can improve on.
It is about creating a workplace that feels like home. If you can do that, there is no reason talented people should leave you after a short period.
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Written and Published By The Strategic Advisor Board Team
C. 2017-2021 Strategic Advisor Board / M&C All Rights Reserved
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