Don't make that (counter) offer startup founders. Do this first.

She resigned...

"So we made a counter-offer." - said many Startup Founders.

?Big mistake! Big! Huge!?

Why? Because your startup's future depends on trust from customers and employees to help it grow.?

?And that counter-offer isn't a trust-building tool or recognition for her performance, work ethic or commitment.

?It's simply a sign that you know the cost of losing her is too high, but still unclear of how to create a company culture that favours intelligent solutions instead of easily broken, quick fixes.?

Also, 50% of employees who accept a counteroffer leave within 12 months , so why would you even want this to be your strategy and become your company culture???You’ll forever be questioning your employee’s loyalty and future at your company, which will impact all relationships, including those with your customers, suppliers, and partners.?

That is quite risky for new businesses.?

?So what’s better than a knee-jerk reactionary counter-offer??

A people and culture strategy.?

A people and culture strategy should be included in every founder’s business plan or at the very least have a clear roadmap before you hire (and lose) your 'stars' - if you want to scale your business and to support the people in it genuinely.?

A solid people and culture strategy starts with these THREE key factors:?

• Employee reward & recognition processes
• Managing milestones and goal-setting??
• Performance enablement and coaching plans?

?So you're not fumbling over your feet when your key players hand in their notice.?

Employee Reward and Recognition

Recognition and reward are not just for those outdated annual appraisals; why are we still doing these? Argh. You want to build trust with your people and make sure they know you recognise their commitment and hard work on an ongoing basis and that you are willing to reward them for it. Not simply offering a reward when they’re exhausted and want to leave. You’ll also create a culture that encourages your people to do the same for each other.?

Milestones & Goal-setting?

I’m a massive fan of setting expectations in the workplace; it’s easier to plan and prep for a problem than rectify one. Milestone and goal-setting help you and your people identify your needs, have that conversation and determine the outcomes you all want to achieve. Without this, you’re pretty much living on hope(ium) and bundles of doubt which will make it impossible for you or your people to identify what success or failure looks like at your workplace.?

Performance Enablement & Coaching

A performance enablement plan,? if done right, increases your employer branding. It limits the risk (brings awareness) and allows you to mend favouritism, pay gap and other organisational issues that might make it impossible for employees to see a happy future at your company.

''Do what is right, not what is easy'' - Unknown

I know that designing a people strategy can seem like a minefield, especially when you’re keen for people to hit the ground running at your startup. But less stress and fear and some planning about bringing new people into your team will help you make better decisions when challenges arise - and ensure chaotic counter-offers are a thing of your past.

Want to know more?        

Email me ??? [email protected] to start a conversation.

Subscribe to ?? FREE Culture Digest for tips, tricks and cheat sheets on building a good team culture and people strategy for your startup.

Join my ?? FREE 60-minute Culture Readiness Clinic? for Startup Founders who are serious about attracting, hiring and sustaining their people while scaling their business.?

About the Author        

Dannique Blake is a Company Culture Consultant and Founder of Cultured Insights.?

She’s on a mission to save 1000 UK startup founders time and money by making their employees happy, motivated and productive, by 2025.

Dannique walks startup companies through their company culture, employee engagement and performance enablement transformation to support their brand, culture and everyone’s wellbeing.

Dannique’s? Free Monthly Culture Club Digest , where she shares free tips, tricks and cheat sheets, is currently helping startup leaders and managers to build a good team culture.?

To learn more about her work, email her at [email protected] .?

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