Employee Retention – It’s Not Rocket Science!
Every human has a need for belonging, and I believe employees stay with a company when that company does a great job of creating an environment that makes them feel like part of the team and valued. As an employee, your work environment is so important and can make all the difference when it comes to finding your career, or your second home, as many call it. The key to good retention starts with this and when a company knocks it out of the park, I don’t think the 50 cents or more an hour makes a big difference.
Asking for feedback and allowing your employees to be heard is another huge aspect of retaining an organization’s most valuable asset; Its’s people. Not only listening to the team but taking what they hear and using it to make changes that are best for staff as a whole is so important. Leadership needs to constantly strive to have a growth mindset and listen, listen, listen! You should always lead with the team in mind, and in order to do so, that means truly taking what they have to say into consideration and showing them that their opinion really does matter!
To Retain You Must First Obtain
A big part of retention, that I’m sure is no mystery to you, is the importance of obtaining and retaining your best employees. Business owners should always have their top talent in mind, but that doesn’t mean neglecting the rest of your team. Depending on the size of your company, having continuous one-on-one meetings to offer encouragement, open conversation, and feedback is vital. Even if you have a larger company, ensuring that there is open communication at all levels is key. Honest conversation and encouraging open lines of communication establishes a level of trust and respect for, and from, everyone.
Of course, in order to retain these employees, you have to obtain them first. This process starts in the interview and ensuring you are asking the right questions that will help in selecting the right person for the job. Asking questions that will allow them to respond honestly and naturally is key. Steer clear of questions typical of an interview and aim more towards behavioral questions that let you see how they would react in particular situations that aren’t an answer you’ve heard from every other candidate. And of course, always remember that how your company presents itself in an interview is the first impression for that employee and could be the difference between whether or not they decide to even show up on their first day.
Making Connections Through Open Communication
No one ever said you have to be best friends with everyone you work with, and it’s not expected, but professionalism is. One of the things that have been a deciding factor for me staying with a particular company is having an associate at work that will engage with me in open and honest conversations. This doesn’t have to be the case for everyone but ensuring that there is an inviting and accepting environment for every single person in a business setting is absolutely necessary and it’s part of what makes coming to work every day worth it.
Employee retention isn’t rocket science. Show your employees that they are valued and that they matter by encouraging open and honest communication throughout your team. Doing this will make all the difference!
