#1 Way to Drive up Retention – Raise the Visibility of Your Most Overlooked Talent

We all know that the search for talent is time consuming and distracts from the business of doing business. Recruitment and onboarding eat up dollars and hours like nothing else, stealing from the bottom line. Are you looking in the right places? There’s no trick to finding great talent in the market, no untapped mine of hidden resources, but you can leverage the great people you already have. Is your company prepared to hang on to key talent? Are you overlooking hidden leaders you should be appreciating? Chances are, you need to improve your retention.

Studies show that all generations – including millennials – wish their leadership took more notice of them and their accomplishments. Are you providing opportunity and recognition? Chances are, you’re missing out by undervaluing certain groups – especially women, minorities and introverts – because they don’t fit the traditional definitions of leaders. In my corporate training program, “The Invisible Leaders: How to Find Them and Let Them Shine,” we delve deep into visibility – what it means and why it matters. If you want to improve retention, practice these 5 ideas.

1.????Take notice and give positive feedback

I often talk about how many of us have the idea that our work should speak for itself – that the good we do is noticed by our peers and superiors.?While that is far from a good career advancement strategy, it still holds true. Even the very shy and introverted appreciate some recognition and gratitude. People want to know that they’re on the right track and meeting expectations – and the younger or newer the employee, the more likely this is to be true. Regardless, most of us need that check in to affirm for ourselves that what we do means something.

2.????Highlight your hidden leader’s strengths

Start the visibility ball rolling by letting others know the strengths of your hidden leaders. The more others know of your talent, the more likely they are to think of them when trying to solve a problem or hash out a new idea. You can easily start within a smaller peer group. Soon, members of that group know who to ask, and can recommend them to others in their adjacent networks. It’s a natural progression. On it goes, and the overlooked leader’s hidden talents become more and better known. Most of us appreciate and feel valued when colleagues reach out to get our thoughts.

3.????Make opportunities available to the traditionally overlooked

Excitement and enthusiasm for our job often stems from new challenges. Opportunities to grow and learn can come from within a potential leader’s existing organization, or they can go elsewhere to find them. You can make sure they stay. Critical projects, interim positions and other opportunities come to those who are known, so make sure your overlooked leaders get the recognition they deserve. Help build people’s reputations for the great work they do, and they’re more likely to stick around and advance in your company.

4.????Rethink the leader skillset

If your company tends to promote only “big personalities” – assertive, outgoing and intensely self-promoting candidates – it might be time for top-level management to consider more diverse leadership approaches. People are often overlooked because they don’t meet the organizations current definition of a leader, but the issue isn’t necessarily with the leader. It’s with the narrow scope. You may need to work towards broadening the acceptance of more approaches in your organization and change the perspective on your hidden leaders. Studies show the most successful companies have a broad mix of personalities at the table – collaborative, assertive, low-key, team-oriented.

5.????Showcase the accomplishments of your hidden leaders

In order to advance in their careers, individuals need to be top of mind when a new challenge or opportunity presents itself. In order to be top of mind, you hidden leaders need to build a reputation within your organization. Giving recognition and making sure success is noted will help build status and acknowledgement. Others will reach out when they know something about your hidden leader and their skills, and chances for challenge and growth will come more often.

If you want to hang on to the excellent people you already have, make sure you give the spotlight to and build recognition for your overlooked leaders. Retention will be more key than ever to winning the talent war. Everyone wants to feel valued, and you will reap the rewards of making sure that those who are typically overlooked get the thanks and praise they deserve. Don’t make them go seeking acknowledgement elsewhere – look around your team and start your plan to help build positive reputations today.

If your company wants to prioritize and elevate the hidden talent inside their organization, reach out to Joel Garfinkle. He can provide corporate trainings, webinars, keynotes, and executive coaching.? He is?recognized as one of the top 50 coaches in the U.S., and the author of 11 books,?including How to Be a Great Boss. He recently worked with multiple leaders at a midsize company. He used the techniques outlined in this article and was able to advance the careers of six hidden leaders in the company. Subscribe to his Fulfillment at Work Newsletter and receive the FREE e-book, "41 Proven Strategies to Get Promoted Now!" You can view his video library of over 100+ easily actionable 2-minute inspirational video clips at his You Tube Channel.