5 Ways To Retain Your Best Employees
If you’re an employer, you may be faced with a conundrum: how to keep your best employees. Did you know a survey revealed 40% of workers are planning to find a new job within the next 6 months, and 69% say they’re already looking?
These are scary numbers from any employer who has employees they want to retain. It’s no longer the case that once hired, employees remain loyal to their companies for decades.
Luckily, Career Companion can help. With our numerous modules designed to help workers advance and improve their careers, we are focused on helping anyone and everyone find their career bliss. And a great way to help retain your employees is to make sure they’re satisfied in their jobs and careers. Here are five ways you can help your employees feel content in their positions.
1. Foster an inclusive and engaging environment.
Everyone wants to feel needed in their positions. If you can cultivate a work environment that makes your employees feel necessary to the company, you’re more likely to keep them around. Make sure you know their names, their specific skill sets, and their contributions to the company. Get their input, ask them questions, and even help them come up with goals. You can use Career Companion’s goal-setting module with your employees to help them feel like a true part of the company and know what they want moving forward.
2. Help develop career plans.
Nothing is more important to career fulfillment than actually having a career plan. Helping your employees develop these plans shows them that you’re invested in their trajectory as much as they are, and that you want them to succeed in their current positions (or even in different roles within the company). Career Companion has modules for exploring career values, paths, and reflecting on current positions… All crucial aspects of creating a great career plan. Help your employees envision their future, and they might be more inclined to develop that future plan around your company.
3. Give feedback.
Studies show that constructive feedback helps employees learn, and produces numerous opportunities for success. If you’re worried about giving your employees criticism, don’t be — Studies also show most employees desire feedback, and are open to critique in order to improve their performance.
Not only will giving your employees feedback help them improve, but it will also contribute to fostering that environment of inclusivity and engagement. The more employees feel like they’re a necessary asset to the company, the more engaged they will be. This will keep them around, and improve their performance.
4. Allow for autonomy.
Imagine someone hovering over you at every step of a project, telling you what to do. It may make you feel overwhelmed, and even incapable or like the person doesn’t trust you to do your job well. That’s why it’s so important to allow your employees some autonomy whenever possible.
You want to empower your employees, and give them the tools to succeed. They can’t feel like an asset to the company if you’re constantly overhead. It can be hard to give up control, but treating your employees more like partners than workers goes a long way. If they’ve demonstrated they can accomplish certain tasks on their own, allowing them their autonomy will give them the skills and feelings of power they need to succeed.
5. Reward a job well done.
This doesn’t have to be, and shouldn’t be, only monetary rewards. Recognition, praise, and even handwritten notes can go a long way in making your employees feel needed and wanted. Constructive feedback is crucial for improvement, but praise is just as necessary for employee engagement and job satisfaction.
Imagine how you would feel if you were recognized for accomplishing an important task. Everyone wants to feel appreciated… Unfortunately, only one-third of employees feel their efforts are acknowledged. It’s not surprising that the remaining two-thirds said they were more likely to leave their jobs. If you want your employees to stay on, make sure you take the time to recognize their achievements.
No employer wants to lose their best employees. You worked hard to find the right people for the right positions, and you want to do your best to retain them. The above five steps are all ways to help your employees be more engaged with the company, and therefore more likely to stay. And using Career Companion will help them learn as much as possible about their career values and trajectory. Both in conjunction will foster a productive and engaging work environment, in which the employees feel needed and desired. Get started with Career Companion today, so you can get the boost you need to retain your best people.
