Employee Retention: It's Not that Complicated

What’s the point of hiring great people if you can’t keep them? I know many organizations that have this hiring thing down pat. That’s because that’s all they do. They can’t retain the people they hire. They figure all they have to do is add a ton of additional perks, like weekly company happy hours or snacks that are making employees fat, and employees will stay.

Let me tell you something. All the free beer in the world isn’t going to make employees delusional enough to remain with a crappy manager or a company that puts profits before people.

 If you want employees to stay, you have to give them a reason to stay.

 Consider the following:

What do your employees think about their work experience—I mean really think? I’m not talking about what they’re jotting down on the annual employee engagement survey.

You know, the one that goes out like clockwork every year, asks the same questions, and is forgotten as soon as the summary is sent to participants.

In my newest book, Evergreen Talent, I write about what employees really want from their employers. Included are the following:

Great leaders. This one should be obvious by now. However, this must not be the case, or bad bosses wouldn’t still be the most popular reason for employees departing their organizations.

I know a thing or two about bad bosses. I’ve had my fair share and may have even fallen into that category myself, earlier in my career. That’s why I advise my clients to be very careful whom they promote into management.

Autonomy. Imagine being proficient at your job and having someone hover over you like a drone. Eventually, you’d go crazy. If you’ve hired great people, and they’ve got the skills to do the job, then get out of the way and let them work.

Growth. Employees are looking for opportunities to develop and grow. If you don’t give this to them, someone else will. This could be as simple as reimbursing employees for a course or a dinner meeting hosted by the local trade association. Or, you could take this one step further and approve their request for an executive coach.

Purpose. Employees want to feel connected to their work. They want to feel a sense of purpose. Help them connect the dots by explaining how their work impacts customers and clients. If possible, allow them an opportunity to go out on sales calls so they can meet these people face to face.

There are a ton of great job opportunities out there, which means you have to continually work on recruiting your people to stay, every day.

I'm giving away a complimentary copy of the companion workbook for Evergreen Talent to anyone who purchases a copy of the book. Purchase your copy of Evergreen Talent, email me at [email protected] and I'll send you the link.