Stop. Listen. Ask. – Keys to Employee Retention
As an employer, one of the most important things you can do for your employees is to allow for their voices to be heard and to listen. Employee retention is as simple as that. When you have leaders that dictate and refuse to recognize the option for change, it makes people feel as though they aren’t valued and that their opinion doesn’t matter. These are the kinds of things that truly matter to an employee, and when an employer encourages these things, it can be the difference between whether or not that employee chooses to stay with you.
Of course, not every business is the same. And no one expects them to be. Taking the time to understand how people want to work, receive work and deliver it, however, is what makes the difference. In some environments, the way things are done is set standard operating. BUT the way in which the direction is delivered is all it takes. Communication is a huge piece when it comes to employee-employer relationships and delivery can make or break that relationship. Regardless of who your employee is or what they do, making them feel valued is key.
What Kind of Relationship Do You Have With Your Employees?
Speaking from experience, I can remember a time I stayed with an employer, over being given the option for a bigger and better role with another company simply because of the leader I had. When asking yourself what you can do to keep your employees and prevent them from leaving to work for another company, think about what kind of leader you are. What are your values, and how do those values affect the relationship you have with your employees? Do your employees feel as though they can voice their opinion to you and that their opinion matters? These are the kinds of things that interest the people that are working for you and what they consider when coming to work for you or when deciding whether or not to leave.
Company culture is a huge aspect of employee retention. When you have a culture that embraces options and chances for voices to be heard, people want to know that they have a voice. Allowing people to give their point of view to make things better, improve on the role they manage every day makes a huge impact on their influence within the teams they work. So not only are these things beneficial to the individual employee, but they have an impact on entire teams of people. When people are inspired and want to do their best, it increases overall productivity and engagement within your business. People are the foundation of a business, so how they are treated is something that shouldn’t be easily overlooked.
Let Them Be Heard
So what is something you can do for your business to start making retention a critical focus? Simple. Stop. Listen. Ask. People want to be heard, valued and given the chance to be their best. Think about when you felt the best at work. Who were you with, what was your leader doing? The team, or was it an individual contributor role? Make that, take that, and ask your team what they want. Communication, open transparent conversation is the winning combination for success!
