Posted by Give Them a Reason to Look Forward
Employee retention is based on more than monetary compensation. Money is of course the root reason of anyone’s employment, however, if money alone is the mode of employee retention, your workers will flock for the first job that offers better pay or comfort. People need to feel a sense of belonging at their job, one that lays a path that already provides what your poachers may offer. Keep them in the loop, provide a plan transparent enough for them to see where they fit in and how they are more essential there than anywhere else.
Provide Recognition For Good Work and Keep Criticism Constructive
Gratitude is a critical key for employee retention. Money talks but a pat on the back and a genuine compliment tends to stick. Often, work is thankless, and thus most people are starving for a crumb appreciation.
One of our most popular openings for a program involves sharing between two people what they themselves can do better at work. They then give a literal pat on the back to each other. It builds from a lighthearted High-Five exercise we do as a warmup; one we’ve been informed carries on as a company tradition today by the same groups who have played it years before.
By that same token, mishaps are inevitable, and to snap on someone with disrespect is a sure fire way to get them to check out before they’re out the door. Correction comes when the issue is addressed with civility, not aggression. A leader in employee retention brings out the best through encouragement and positive coaching.
Encourage Friendly Relationships for Employee Retention
The hardest day is easier when working with those you know and trust, without those aspects, people will rely on themselves alone as much as possible and neglect their colleagues for the assets they are. Team building isn’t always about formal training, most the time it comes naturally through interactions in and out of the workplace. Provide nonthreatening environments for them to grow in, let them talk and get to know one another, take them to lunch, or better yet hold a field day. Employees should look forward to seeing each other; not dreading who they must work with.
Invest in building your teams for employee retention. Team building allows clients a chance to work on interactions without risking real consequence. In our experience, 90 percent of people who participate in our programs feel more comfortable approaching people they want to work with.
Keep Management Grounded to Those They Direct
The difference between a boss and a leader is how familiar higherups are with what goes on at ground level. Leaders with the best employee retention are those in touch with their individual contributors. Hierarchies are important to any form of corporate governance, but they become disillusioned and out of touch if interaction between them and those they command is neglected. Any teambuilding events that occur, formal or otherwise, should always introduce officials to as many people below them as possible. This will boost morale and remind employees that they, and managers they work under, are all people.
Employee Retention Needs Respect for the Work / Life Balance
The lines between office and home found themselves blurred with this last pandemic, and in the fallout since the boundaries have been redefined. It is not uncommon now for people to prefer working remotely, and it has caused many employers to worry about employee retention. Our advice is to roll with it wherever possible, and stay flexible for best employee retention. There are a litany of benefits working from home for the employees, the company, and society.
Commuting is time consuming, risky, and expensive (especially now), anyone would appreciate the added free time and savings. Whatever building they would normally occupy would require less space and use of amenities, saving the company money as well. Their home is their office, an office they would be responsible for caring for. As for society, the more people allowed to stay home would alleviate many traffic concerns and provide more time for parents to care for their kids and pets. Many companies see remote working as a detriment, but truly, it allows people greater independence and relieves much of the stress businesses would have to endure.
Employee retention with remote workers is viable. Venture Up has had several repeat clients book programs for employees who have only ever seen each other on a screen, and they perform just as well as people working day to day in the office. Today we offer team building events that are remote as well, which serve the same effect of building relationships between each other, relationships they would be all the less likely to break by moving elsewhere.