Employee retention is a serious issue. Nearly 57% of American organizations say this. Poor performance and issues with temperament are the reasons that nearly 22% of new hires leave within 45 days. There are ways to keep employees happy and with a company for longer than a month and a half. Talent acquisition management firms list the following ways employers can keep their staffs. Many are surprised to hear that it really is not about the money for most American workers. People stay in jobs where they are happy, not just well compensated.
- Make a work life balance something you really care about. People like to work. Americans are notorious for not taking their vacation but there is a limit to that. if your firm makes people feel badly when they need to take care of a sick child or want to spend time with their families, that person is not going to stay all that long at your company. Giving employees the ability to work from home or have flex hours are ways you can be creative and get a better amount of work and a happier person, say talent acquisition management experts.
- Give them a chance to advance. Companies who start new employees off with a training program that integrates them into your company culture have new hires 45 days later about 58% of the time. You cannot let it stop there though. Human Resources consultants say that employees need to feel they have a good career path at their company. This should include opportunities for professional development and that can include trainings and other things aimed at helping them advance in their careers.
- You need to give positive and negative reinforcement. People like when they think they are doing a good job, sure but they also need to know what they are doing wrong. People cannot correct mistakes if they do not know they made them. Unless you run a physic firm, your staff is not clairvoyant. If you only tell them what they are doing wrong they are going to leave because being berated all of the time makes people unhappy and is natural to want to leave a place where you are unhappy, say talent acquisition management experts. This also should include performance reviews on a regular basis.
- Give them the tools to do their job. If you hire a welder and do not give them the tools to do that, they would get frustrated and leave. The same can be said for office work where the tools may not be as clear cut but they are there. Someone who is not empowered to do their job is not going to stay.
- Make them feel they matter to the company. One chief executive officer once told his staff writer, “Stop putting ‘our staff are the soul of our organization’ because it sends the wrong message.” No, it sends the perfect message. Your staff are why you succeed. They need to know that you value them and the work they do.
- Help them be healthier. Some companies offer incentives to join a gym or quit smoking. This not to say you should mandate they work out or complain if they do not quit smoking but more healthy employees are more productive. You can find other ways to take an interest in their health.
- Ask them what they think. People tend to be happier when their input into their situation is appreciated. Ask for input on a variety of things and you will have happier staff who are more likely to stay on with you than to leave because of “temperament.”
- Reduce the number of meetings and emails. It may not seem like a big deal but people often feel flooded with input that all needs a response right away. That means they really have less time to do their work and get frustrated and feel overwhelmed. Lay off the email on the weekend (unless it is an emergency).They need a break.
Keeping staff is not rocket science, say the talent acquisition management experts. It is a matter of making people feel good about themselves and employer. People do not always need a raise to be happy at work, just to be valued and respected.