With remote work on the rise, the competition for talent has expanded, making it increasingly important to focus on retaining employees. You’ve done the hard work of finding, hiring, and training top recruits. Now, you need to take the steps necessary to keep those employees in their seats.
Here you’ll find ten strategies to implement today to ensure you keep your key talent happy, engaged, and retained:
- Retention Starts at Recruiting
From the application process to selecting interviewees, your goal should be to figure out who fits the culture and the strategy for the company’s success. It is important, to be honest, and candid with job requirements and expectations from the start. You should be looking for the right attitude and fit for your organization; you can always teach the skills. - Look for Longevity
Those who have a history of bouncing around jobs likely will continue that habit. Someone who has stuck with other companies for long periods and has productive activities outside of work is likely to show loyalty, engagement, and perseverance. - Shared Vision
When you find employees who align with your company values and mission, chances are they will find more fulfillment in the role and be an asset to the company’s success. You should provide a workplace culture that is empowering, values its people, provides meaningful work, makes people feel trusted, supported, and included. - Continued Education and Advancement
Growth opportunities are great motivators. So, providing employees with the options for additional education and promotions from within will show you care about your workforce and want to take care of them as individuals. Make sure to share constructive feedback with employees regularly. - Flexibility
Being able to offer flexibility can give employees a sense of security and value. Your employees have lives outside of work and having the ability to handle things that arise without stress or fear goes a long way towards gaining loyalty. Perhaps staying remote or listening to their needs for different hours will prevent them from leaving for a different position in another company. Talk to your team and ask about things like commute times. Studies show that people with 45-60 minute commutes have a higher turnover. - Competitive Compensation
All employers are competing with wages now. While higher wages are an attractive start, a major shift in peoples’ priorities means it’s not just about the money. Paying a fair wage should be the starting point to demonstrating you value your team. Many employees place a higher value on benefits, career mobility, personal growth, compassion & care, flexibility & balance, and hybrid work solutions. If you pay a fair wage, it’s not just about the money. - Deliver on Desires
People are more than their positions and want to feel heard. Asking what they need, truly hearing the responses, and taking action to help alleviate their struggles will only help productivity and retention. - Employee Engagement
Connect with your employees regularly with business meetings, or stay interviews: dig into what’s working, what’s not, and what needs a little fine-tuning. Empathy will be a key leadership quality as we move forward. More importantly, ask and actively listen to how your team is doing. Show care by taking action on their concerns. You don’t need to implement every solution, but be transparent that you considered their concerns and why you aren’t going to move forward. It shows your employees that you support them and lets them feel like valued members of the team. - Analyze Data
Data is your friend if you use it to take action! Use systems to collect information on how effectively your business is operating. Then take the time to analyze the results to discover any patterns in workers’ behavior and process efficiency so you can fix any issues or inefficiencies. - Be Prepared
Even with all of these in place, sometimes employee turnover is unavoidable. Take it as clearing the air with those not in alignment anymore and have a succession plan in place. Be a visible, active, and positive presence throughout your workplace so people view you as a choice employer.
Like it or not, things are not going to return to the way they were before the pandemic. It is important to take action steps now to help your business be successful. Organizations that want to maintain or build high-performance cultures need to evolve and grow along with the changing demands of their people.
Being a business owner is hard and sometimes it can be lonely. Empowered Leadership helps businesses find freedom through business coaching, executive coaching, assessments, and training.
Leave a Reply