Do you have trouble retaining good people these days? Have you ever wondered why, just as you bring someone up to speed on a project or position, they’re suddenly flying off to brighter horizons elsewhere?
Perhaps you think you are not offering enough money or that your health care benefits are not very competitive? Perhaps the available parking spaces are too far from the front door.
Sorry, Bunkie: according to the polls, neither of those things are likely to happen. Instead, the problem may be much closer to home, meaning you, the departing soul manager. It seems that the most frequent reasons given by professionals for leaving one job for another fall entirely within the responsibility of… drum roll… the ex-boss!
Here’s what I mean, as evidenced by this list of employees’ “top reasons” for changing jobs from a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management:
o 89% offered a higher salary elsewhere
o 85% did not see enough potential for professional development
o 79% felt unappreciated
or 74% burned
o 71% balance work and life problems too difficult
o 62% conflict with supervisor or co-workers
Get the image? Keep in mind that as a manager, you have control over pretty much EVERYTHING on the list. Only the former can be outside of your control, although you have authority or influence over that one as well. However, you may not see your own work that way. And therein lies your basic problem.
Managers who define themselves as more than 5-star generals may, in fact, see this list as an apt description of what they currently do. The caregivers, the coaches, the orchestrators, the career counselors — bosses who incorporate all of these roles into their tenure are likely to experience the sting of employees leaving far less frequently than the blood-and-guts managers and controllers.
Studies over the years have repeatedly shown that the best-run, that is, the most profitable, companies routinely pay attention to the wants, needs, and feelings of employees. Fortune’s annual “Best Companies” lists are full of companies behaving in this way. Given this reality, your company (and you) should too.
So, to increase retention and reverse employee emigration, regardless of your actual company policies, try one or more of the following, incorporating new actions into your management journey:
o Meet with each of their subordinates on a regular basis with the sole objective of career development. Ask them where they see themselves in 2-5 years, what they enjoy most about their current job, and what they hate. Together look for projects and tasks that your employee is truly excited about.
o Tell your people, often, how well they are doing. The phrase “Good job!” it takes exactly one second to say even though its effect spreads out exponentially. However, when workers NEVER hear this phrase, they may not know that this is how you feel.
o Implement life balance benefits such as flexible hours, extensive freedom to clock in and out, the option to work from home, etc. Telecommuting used to be a big deal before the days of email, but electronic communication supersedes the traditional need to keep regular hours. Give your staff time and flexibility to do each job individually. In the process, you’ll help them lessen their work/family stress, making employment with you hard to beat.
Although there are only a few suggestions, you should be getting the idea. Expressions of support and affection, and the willingness to back it up, are very helpful, especially in our world of work devoid of such notions. It’s not just about salaries, stock options and health benefits; in the end it’s about showing real, living people that you care.
