When good employees leave an organization, the affected company loses. The move creates a disruption in the flow of work leaving managers and companies in limbo. Surprisingly, managers are yet to comprehend that it is not the company that an employee stops working for but a manager. With some effort, organizations can retain their best employees. To understand worker retention, you must learn the reasons behind the decisions by good employees to quit.
Being overworked
When your staff works too hard, they might get burnt out. As an employer or manager, there is always that feeling that makes you want to push your workers even harder. However, in case you never knew, pushing employees gives them a feeling that you are punishing rather than making use of their skills. Moreover, forcing your workers to go beyond the standard hours of work lowers their productivity. To deal with this negative effect, if you have to increase the workload, you better offer them a pay raise too. Also, change the employee’s title as a way of appreciation for their hard work.
Lack of personal recognition
Everyone likes being told how good they are at their work. Saying things such as “you did great work” or “great job there” can go a long way towards motivating your employees. Speak these words to your top performers and you will be amazed at the response. The employee will register it in their mind that, after all, you do recognize their input in the organization. As a company executive, take the initiative to find out things that motivate employees. You will be surprised to find that for some, recognizing their feats in front of their colleagues encourages them more than even adding a few dollars to their pay stub.
Not being cared for
Most people leaving their jobs blame it on bad bosses. Some bosses become too professional and forget that there is a human aspect in work places. As an employer, you need to inculcate certain attributes among the supervisors in your team. Encourage them to show genuine concern for fellow employees during difficult times. A worker may be going through turbulence in their marriage. They need not tell you openly but you can see in their faces that something is bothering them. Engage such people in small talk and let them know that you are with them during the difficult times. On the other hand, celebrate your employee’s achievements.
Promoting or hiring ‘strangers’
When an employee works hard, it is a sign that they love their job and would want to keep doing it. In return, you should take their efforts into consideration when an opportunity for promotion comes. However, some organizations opt to recruit senior people externally. When these ‘strangers’ come, other workers silently rebel leading to poor performance. The same scenario plays when you promote someone that did not deserve that position. In the end, the employee that worked extremely hard to earn the promotion feels insulted. Before you know it, they are handing in their resignation.
Ignoring skills development
The development of skills in the workplace is something that should happen on a continuous basis. Successful companies single out talented employees and enrol them for courses that help improve their skill sets. Besides, such workers depend on you to keep telling them whether they are hacking it or not. As a manager, if you keep this feedback to yourself the affected employees start becoming complacent. They may take it that you do not care and are only after what they can do for you. Find areas that your employees can improve on. Better still, ask them to highlight areas they would like your support.
Failure to honour your commitment
As a boss, you will find yourself promising to do this or the other to your team members. Unbeknown to you, they take your word and will hold you to task. However, if you do not honour your promises, employees lose their trust in you. They will never believe anything you say and start considering making a move to another place where they can find trust.
Finding good employees takes a lot of effort. On your part, treat them well, show concern and encourage them along the way. These might seem like little things but they will help you retain good employees.
By Mark Pavelich President Ceo The Mark Consulting & Marketing