Action Learning for Staff Retention

We’ve been working with our clients for 25 years and there are some issues that come up time and again. Staff retention is one of them. Here are the most effective strategies we’ve seen to keep and grow the best people in your organisation.

Action Learning is a group coaching technique. During an action learning set, the ‘presenter’ talks about an issue or topic that they want support with. Through open questions and reflection, they gain new insight, growth, peer connection and a plan of action. Having worked with hundreds of clients over the years, we have found key areas where teams get stuck, as well as the changes that make a difference. Here’s what we’ve learned about keeping the best people in your organisation.

Money matters – a bit…

Of course, salaries, perks and benefits matter. This is a challenge for all organisations, but where you can, benchmark renumeration packages across your industry. That said, the evidence is clear: people make decisions with their hearts as much as their heads. If they feel good about a role, they are much more likely to stay, even if they could earn more elsewhere. So:

Recognise

Acknowledge people’s contributions. Celebrate achievements publicly and more quietly, one-to-one. Encourage leaders to do this and include it as a standard part of line management conversations.

A place for people

Foster an inclusive workplace culture where employees feel connected, respected, and supported in being their real, whole selves. Part of this is being real about the time and space people need for other parts of their life. Ask managers to help people find balance between their work and personal life. This might include flexitime, holiday purchase schemes, remote work options, or additional time off when possible. Part of the role of an action learning facilitator is to help individuals work holistically in the coaching space. The way we support open communication in a safe environment helps create a sense of belonging, less dissonance between people’s work self and ‘real’ self.

Growth mindset

People feel best when they are moving forwards. Many organisations try to offer opportunities for growth and development: training, mentorship, and clear paths for career progression. Action learning is another option here. Working in groups is more cost effective than one-to-one coaching and has the added benefit that people learn from each other as well as from the facilitator. Participants have time to reflect, upskill, get support, feedback and ideas for best practice, and build their networks inside the organisation. We train new facilitators on our flagship facilitator training programme too – so you don’t need an external facilitator or coach.

Managerial minefield

If we had a penny for every time someone tells us they are struggling with their manager. This relationship is central to employee satisfaction – and often why people move on. Help managers their teams. You will have seen many offers of leadership and management training. The most important skills we see are being able to listen and ask the right questions. This is the heart of the action learning process. In action learning, managers will have a space to trouble-shoot their issues, get support, feedback and space to reflect, and they will get to practice their key management skills: listening to their teams, asking them good questions, and empowering them to solve their own problems. They will learn how to do this, and the value of it – by experiencing it themselves. We run action learning for managers as a standalone offer and as a component of wider leadership and management training programmes.

Moving on can be part of the process

It’s not always right for everyone to stay. When employees leave, celebrate their successes, and use formal or informal exit interviews to understand their experience. Where something has gone wrong, it’s a chance to improve something – but it may just be part of the healthy ebb and flow of talented people in the workforce. If you need help setting up a programme to reduce turnover, increase motivation, improve communication and team cohesion, we would love to help. Get in touch here