How To Keep Your Valued Employees

In most companies, the management team sets the tone for how people are treated. They make sure all employees feel valued for what they do on a frequent individual basis.

In today's competitive environment it's important that managers be held responsible for building a retention culture in their teams and in their departments. A huge percentage of work-life satisfaction is determined by the relationship a worker has with their boss. Self-managed, agile organizations create work environments where people can continuously learn and make decisions.

Retaining the right people is imperative. Managers and companies need to understand what skilled people want and they should try and meet those expectations. Today’s working force are quite diverse individuals who want to control their own purpose and make significant contributions to society through their work.

A lot of research has been done which indicates time and time again that people shift their loyalties to a new employer because of mostly non-financial reasons. Good people leave their jobs for the following typical reasons:             

1. Leaders don't show their employees how valuable they employees are
2. There is a shortage of resources and information regarding career development,
3. The company’s mission, vision, and values that don’t go hand in hand with their experience
4. Employees are concerned about benefit issues.

Many studies on retention agree on what influences employees to stay: meaningful, challenging work, a chance to grow and learn, a good work environment, recognition and respect.

It’s easy to blame organizational policies for the loss of talent. Although this is certainly one of the reasons. Moreover, most proven retention strategies are within the circle of influence of the manager and cost very little, if anything, in real rands. The investment is in caring and commitment.

Here are just a few of the things that are known to work:

Improve the manager and employee relationship
Colleague relations are typically the most positive of all the cultural assumptions measured.

This shows an opportunity to use the manager as a credible channel of messages to make your environment an increasingly great place to work. Mentors, trainers and other models have their value, but it is the employee’s manager who seems to have the greatest influence.

Constantly challenging your employees
It’s common for people with actual potential to suffer dissatisfaction yet stay on the job. Instead of leaving, they simply find ways to disengage and drift away from the team. Their departure is psychological rather than physical.

Evidently, disengagement can be just as costly as departure. Possible methods to overcome this challenge include joining group tasks, forming self-directed teams, rotating assignments, etc.

Hire for fit
While it’s true that many of the good people companies are losing these days are relatively the “old-timers”, it’s also true that in today’s work environments it’s quite difficult to keep the new hires.

Getting the right people in the door in the first place is obviously fundamental to increasing the odds of keeping them.

Also, how are job candidates specifically screened for a good fit with your organization’s supposed values and evolving culture? There are some simple interview techniques that can help.

Get rid of destructive people
Even if they are well paid, receive constant recognition and have opportunities to learn and develop, people will leave if they don’t like their supervisor.

What do destructive people do? They intimidate, demean, behave rudely, belittle people in front of others, give only negative feedback, refuse to take responsibility for their actions and the list goes on.

This kind of behaviour won’t get your company anywhere and it doesn’t foster respect and good performance. Unfortunately, these behaviours are not at all unusual, and sometimes they are demonstrated even by high profile managers. The key is to identify these people and get them in line. It’s a message with profoundly negative consequences.

Add fun into the workplace
Many people think that the workplace is a fun-free zone. They’re not looking for continuous laughter and water balloon fights. They’re just looking for a twist on things, a little craze. Fun boosts creativity and it certainly does not reduce productivity when everyone’s work and teamwork goals are clear.

Distinguish
One of the most discouraging things that can happen to a good employee is the realization that not all co-workers are recognized for excellent performance. Your performance review system should be comprehensive and transparent. Clearly tie work to business objectives. Be sure that high achievers get the credit they deserve.

Hopefully, you feel this article provided you with insight on how you are (or are not) keeping your valued employees.

If you need help finding staff that is the right fit for your company, we can help. Communicate Recruitment is a specialist recruitment agency, with high calibre recruiters. We specialise in the sourcing of top candidates in the Finance, IT, Engineering Supply Chain and Freight industries, both for permanent and contract placements.  Contact us today for your talent search.