How to Retain Top Talent

How to Retain Top Talent

I’ll never forget how a client navigated a major challenge to her business’s success and still retained her incredible team.?

It was the beginning of 2020, and she excitedly signed a 5-year lease on an incredible office space that fit her growing team. Six weeks later everyone had to go home. And then, when it became safe for everyone to return, she made a defining decision.?

She let her employees individually choose: work at the office or from home.

This decision might not have made sense for her bottom line initially due to her office space investment but prioritizing what contributed to better performance and overall satisfaction of her employees is actually where she saw the best ROI.

They still function this way to this day.

Strong leaders with high employee retention have a natural desire to create a “great” place to work - a place where employees want to come because it has all the elements that support their performance and overall satisfaction, not what makes the leader feel most comfortable.

A 2022 job seekers survey reported that 21% of participants named “poor company culture” as their reason for leaving a job within a year and 34% reported quitting a role within the first 90 days because “company culture was not as expected.”

This goes beyond working from home, hybrid or the decision to return to in-person only. Company culture is important to employee retention. My client built a culture based on what her team needed, not just what she needed.?

Every leader has the ability to do this. If you find your team is experiencing high turnover or productivity is low, it’s time to make a change to your leadership style and culture.

?? Design a work culture around your employees

Your culture feels comfortable to you, but your team is not performing their best. In order to design a work culture around your employees, you need to take a step back,?listen and observe.

Have you heard your team vocalize frustrations around a particular process? Have you noticed that your team isn't collaborative in their current set up? Have you noticed when your team is the most satisfied with their work? What factors contribute to their efficiency?

Every team is unique. There is no one size fits all template to design the optimal work culture for your employees. You have to listen and observe your team to find the solutions that fit. ?

?? Ask your employees what they need to be productive?

Instead of functioning from the place of what works best for you as a leader, ask your employees.

When and where do they feel most productive? What factors contribute to their job satisfaction? What types of communication are most helpful to them??

This is the key to retention. Every leader wants to keep good employees. This is how you do it. ?

Struggling to retain top talent? Let’s chat. I help leaders overcome this challenge everyday.

Michele Phillips

Sr Business Advisor | Entrepreneur helping Small Business Owners Grow Revenue ??, Increase Profits ??, and Deliver Results ????

6 个月

Love how this approach balances both leadership and employee needs. Designing a culture that aligns with your team is how great leaders drive results! ??

Ray Jansma

ERA Group | Business Consulting and Systems | Trusted Advisor | Cost Management | Strategy |

6 个月

When I managed employees, we strove to ensure the best employees are fed lots of educational opportunities and the ability to develop new skills. This is important across the spectrum, but especially so in industries that experience seasonality. From warehouse personnel to middle managers, encouraging constant learning not only benefits the company but gives those who participate a sense of belonging and security during downturns.

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