Ten Tips For Employee Retention

T E N T I P S F O R E M P LOY E E R E T E N T I O N
Employee retention can form one of the primary measures of the health of your business.
If you are losing critical staff members, you can safely bet that other people in their
departments are looking as well. Exit interviews with departing employees provide
valuable information you can use to retain remaining staff. Heed their results. Youll never
have a more significant source of data about the health of your organisation.
1. Management thinkers from Ferdinand Fournies (Why Employees Don't Do What
They're Supposed to Do and What to Do About It) to Marcus Buckingham and Curt
Coffman (First Break All the Rules) agree that a satisfied employee knows clearly
what is expected every day at work. Changing expectations keep people on edge
and creates unhealthy stress. They rob the employee of internal security and
make the employee feel unsuccessful. Im not advocating unchanging jobs, just
the need for a specific framework within which people clearly know what is
expected from them.
2. The quality of the supervision an employee receives is critical to employee
retention. People leave managers and supervisors more often than they leave
companies or jobs. It is not enough that the supervisor is well-liked or a nice
person, starting with clear expectations of the employee, the supervisor has a
critical role to play in retention. Anything the supervisor does to make an
employee feel unvalued will contribute to turnover. Frequent employee complaints
centre on these areas.
Lack of clarity about expectations,
Lack of clarity about earning potential,
Lack of feedback about performance,
Failure to hold scheduled meetings, and
Failure to provide a framework within which the employee perceives they
can succeed.
3. The ability of the employee to speak his or her mind freely within the organisation
is another key factor in employee retention. Does your organisation solicit ideas
and provide an environment in which people are comfortable providing feedback?
If so, employees offer ideas, feel free to criticise and commit to continuous
improvement. If not, they bite their tongues or find themselves constantly "in
trouble" - until they leave.
4. Talent and skill utilisation is another environmental factor your key employees
seek in your workplace. A motivated employee wants to contribute to work areas
outside of his specific job description. How many people could contribute far more
than they currently do? You just need to know their skills, talent and experience,
and take the time to tap into it.
5. The perception of fairness and equitable treatment is important in employee
retention. In one company, a new sales rep was given the most potentially
successful, commission-producing accounts. Current staff viewed these decisions
as taking food off their tables. You can bet a number of them are looking for their
next opportunity. In another instance, a staff person, just a year or two out of
college, was given $20,000 in raises over a six month time period. Information of
this type never stays secret in companies, so you know, beyond any shadow of
doubt; the morale of several other employees will be affected. For example, you
have a staff person who views her role as important and she brings ten years of
experience, an M.B.A. and a great contribution record to the table. When she finds
she is making less money than this employee, she is likely to look for a new job.
Minimally, her morale and motivation will take a big hit. Did the staff person
deserve the raises? Yes. But, recognise that there will be impact on others.
The Small Business Company Limited. www.tsbc.co.uk

6. When an employee is failing at work, I ask the W. Edwards Deming question,
What about the work system, is it causing the person to fail? Most frequently, if
the employee knows what they are supposed to do, I find the answer is time, tools,
training, temperament or talent. The easiest to solve, and the ones most affecting
employee retention, are tools, time and training. The employee must have the
tools, time and training necessary to do their job well or they will move to an
employer who provides them.

7. Your best employees, those employees you want to retain, seek frequent
opportunities to learn and grow in their careers, knowledge and skill. Without the
opportunity to try new opportunities, sit on challenging committees, attend
seminars and read and discuss books, employees feel they will stagnate. A career-
oriented, valued employee must experience growth opportunities within your
organisation.
8. A common place complaint or lament I hear during an exit interview is that the
employee never felt senior managers knew they existed. By senior managers I
refer to the director of a small company or a department or division head in a
larger company. Take time to meet with new employees to learn about their
talents, abilities and skills. Meet with each employee periodically. You'll have more
useful information and keep your fingers on the pulse of your organisation. It's a
critical tool to help employees feel welcomed, acknowledged and loyal.
9. No matter the circumstances, never, never, ever threaten an employee's job or
income. Even if you know layoffs loom if you fail to meet production or sales goals,
it is a mistake to foreshadow this information with employees. It makes them
nervous; no matter how you phrase the information; no matter how you explain
the information, even if you're absolutely correct, your best staff members will
update their resumes. I'm not advocating keeping solid information away from
people, however, think before you say anything that makes people feel they need
to search for another job.
10.I place this final tip on every retention list I develop because it is so key and
critical to retention success. Your staff members must feel rewarded, recognised
and appreciated. Frequently saying thank you goes a long way. Monetary rewards,
bonuses and gifts make the thank you even more appreciated. Understandable
raises, tied to accomplishments and achievement, help retain staff. Commissions
and bonuses that are easily calculated on a daily basis, and easily understood,
raise motivation and help retain staff.
Take a look at your company. Are you doing your best to retain your top talent? Employ
these ten factors in your company to retain your desired employees and attract the best
talent.

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T E N T I P S F O R E M P LOY E E R E T E N T I O N

The Small Business Company Limited. www.tsbc.co.uk

The Small Business Company Limited. www.tsbc.co.uk

The Small Business Company Limited. www.tsbc.co.uk

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