With many people winding down activities at work for Christmas, some people may be thinking about new job prospects and opportunities when the festivities and buzz of Christmas and New Year are over, either within their existing company or elsewhere.
‘New Year, new start’ will be on many people’s minds in the coming weeks.
But let’s remind ourselves that employee retention is critical to the long-term health and success of a business.
Retaining your best employees ensures customer satisfaction, product sales, satisfied co-workers and reporting staff, effective succession planning and building organisational knowledge and learning. If managers know these facts so well, why do they behave in ways that so frequently encourage really great employees to quit their jobs?
Here are 5 ways to retain your really great employees in the New Year and beyond:-
1. Expectations
Management thinkers all agree that a satisfied employee knows clearly what is expected from him every day at work. Changing expectations keeps people on edge and creates unhealthy stress.
They rob the employee of internal security and make the employee feel unsuccessful. This is not advocating unchanging jobs – rather just the need for an environment within which people clearly k now what is expected from them.
2. Talent
Talent and skill utilisation is another environmental factor your key employees seek out in your workplace.
A motivated employee wants to contribute to work areas outside of his or her specific job description:-
– How many people could contribute far more that they currently do?
– How many people have untapped strengths?
You just need to know their skills, talent and experience and take the time to tap into them.
3. Perception
The perception of fairness and equitable treatment of staff is important in employee retention.
In one company, a new salesperson was given the most potentially successful, commission-producing accounts.
Current staff viewed these decisions as taking food off their tables. You can bet a number of them are looking for their next opportunity!
In another instance, a ‘high potential’ staff person, just a year or two out of college, was given £10,000 in raises over a six-month time period. Information of this nature NEVER stays secret in companies.
And as you know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the morale of several other staff will be affected.
For example, you have a manager who views her role as important and she brings over ten years of experience, an MBA and a great track record of achievement. Minimally, her morale and motivation will take a big hit. Did the staff person deserve the raises? Yes. But recognise that these decisions had an impact on others.
4. Tools
When an employee is failing at work, try asking the question: “What is it about the work system that’s causing this person to fail?
Most frequently, if the employee knows what they are supposed to do, you’ll find the answer is time, tools, training, temperament or talent.
The easiest to solve – and the ones most affecting employee retention – are the tools, time and training necessary to do their job well – or they will move to an employer who provides them.
5. Threats
No matter the circumstances, NEVER, NEVER, EVER threaten an employee’s job or income. Even if you know the layoffs loom if you fail to meet production or sales goals, it’s a mistake to warn of this information to employees.
It makes them nervous, no matter how you phrase the information; no matter how you explain the information, even if you’re absolutely correct, your best members of staff will update their CVs.
This is NOT advocating that you keep solid information away from people; however do think before you say anything that makes people feel they need to look for another job elsewhere.
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