Are you having trouble finding and keeping your employees? Are your employees unhappy Stressed? Uncertain? These are all signs that an employee may be ready to walk out the door. It is your job as their employer to give them what they may need to do their job successfully. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon that an employee feels overwhelmed, or frustrated with their position due to something that could be an easy fix. What are you doing to ensure the success of your workers? Are you brushing it off and blaming them? Or are you taking a step back and reflecting on what you could do better. People need to work for a living. In most cases, they aren’t typically going to walk away from a position for no reason. Moreover, people are most likely to quit their job due to their boss than due to the job itself. That means that the power is in your hands as a leader to help ensure you keep your employees actively engaged. Here are 5 key tips to help you retain your best employees.
Hire the right employees
This sounds obvious, but is it really? You might be looking for a candidate with the right experience, but have you thoroughly considered the personality attributes that allow a person to be successful in a position? Your employees should all be able to work as a team, and if there is an odd-man-out, it might not work out the best. Hiring one wrong employee can destroy the team from the inside out. Personality tests are always a smart move, and they also give you an insight into how they may react to leadership. Reference checks with people who know the person well can also be a valuable way of gaining insight into what makes a person tick.
Strengthen your onboarding procedures
Onboarding an employee is like making a first impression. It sets the tone for their long term experience with you. Their first day should not be just about learning the job and completing paperwork. You should allow them to learn about their coworkers and the overall culture of the company. Let them participate in carving out how they fit in best so they can really thrive. We hear employees say they feel like they were “thrown in with the sharks”. A lot of employees feel as if they were hired, and then all of a sudden expected to just do their job, with no hands-on training. One-on-one training can be really effective, and allow for the employee to askquestions more directly. Don’t just pick an employee to train them at random, pick an employee that best understands the position, as well as the company. The trainer should be the one you think best represents the culture of the team.
Stay communicative
Making sure that you keep in contact with your employees is very important. Team meetings are great for finding new ideas, and ensuring that everyone is satisfied. One-on-one meetings are great as well. This allows for you and the employee to discuss goals, ideas, and any questions/concerns they may have. It also allows for a time for you to let them know how they’re doing, and express what could be done better. Having meetings can boost employee morale, and make them feel more valued. You should always be accessible or at least communicating constantly about your accessibility so your employees know what to expect. If you will be tied up for a certain period of time, check in with them first to see if they need anything and let them know when you will be available again. You may also want to let them know how they can reach you in case of an emergency and help them understand what an emergency would look like.
Provide a reasonable salary
It is no secret that employees take salary into consideration at all times. You should always ensure that you are giving an appropriate salary based on what the position requires, as well as their experience. If you are paying way under the average, you are less likely to keep employees (if you are lucky enough to find them). Your employee should never feel as if they are being taken advantage of, or drastically underpaid. If you’re paying 30,000 a year for a position that most places pay 45,000, you are not going to have much luck hanging on to anyone. Money talks, and people like the conversation.
Be a leader, not a boss
People more often leave a position based on an issue with their manager than they do the job itself. You should aim to become someone your employees respect and feel loyal towards. Aim to become a leader who is mindful of others and wants to help them succeed. True, genuine leaders lead with integrity and respect. A great leader should be able to unite a team around a vision and keep them based on that. Avoid the management mistakes that destroy employee morale. You can learn about the 3 most common management mistakes that destroy employee morale here.
Retaining great employees requires both defensive and offensive approaches. Make sure you are not falling into the trap of management mistakes and then be proactive about engaging with employees to earn their trust and loyalty. The golden rule applies here; take care of your employees, and they will take care of you.
