How to Improve Employee Retention
To help get your staff on side, try incorporating these techniques into your managerial style. This will not only give your employees a reason to stay, it will also encourage them to perform to the best of their abilities.
1. Hire the right people in the first place.
Before you can improve employee retention, you must first be sure that you have actually hired the right person for the job in question.
If you have employed someone who is unsuitable for the role, out of their depth, or just plain not cut out for a position in your company, chances are they won't be around for long.
Take time during the recruitment process to really assess and digest the credentials of each candidate, along with the motivation behind their application.
This will help separate those who really want the job from those who've applied just for the sake of it, hopefully leaving you with a motivated employee who is hungry for opportunities and capable of performing well.
2. Create a relaxed work environment.
Nobody wants to work in an uncomfortable, high-stress environment.
As such, it's important to nurture a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere where the people get along, the deadlines are realistic, and the workloads aren't too overwhelming.
Aim to cultivate a strong sense of company pride, and a working culture where unity and teamwork are central.
Make sure your office is well-lit and the temperature isn't too hot or too cold.
Combining these techniques will help to create a positive environment that makes employees happy.
3. Encourage self-improvement.
Employees often find added value in jobs that offer plenty of opportunities for personal and professional development.
After all, nobody wants to feel as though they're stuck in a rut and spinning their wheels. Frequent chances to climb the career ladder and better oneself can make a huge difference.
This could be achieved through external courses and qualifications training, or simply by offering lunchtime learning opportunities and inter-department skills sharing.
Self-improvement can also come in the form of promoting health and well-being at work, whether through workplace exercise programmes or therapy classes.
4. Listen and learn.
Listening to your employees is a fundamental ingredient in the day-to-day success of the working environment you have created.
Not only will it send the message to your staff that their opinions matter and are valid, it will also provide you with unfiltered insight from those in the trenches.
Conduct regular reviews with your staff to make sure they're coping with the workload you've assigned. Take time to ask for their feedback, and act on it where possible.
Giving your workforce the opportunity to raise any concerns and provide suggestions boosts morale and can help you to nip any issues in the bud before they get out of hand.
What's more, your employees' comments may also influence your management decisions and help direct the business in a positive direction.
5. Recognise and acknowledge good work.
Positive reinforcement should be a key area of any manager's daily playbook and is a sure-fire way to help improve employee retention.
Nobody likes to feel like their contributions are overlooked and underappreciated, so take the time to recognise times when a job has been done well.
Whether you send a quick email to show your appreciation or reward hard work through other means, like incentives and occasional awards, a simple show of gratitude can go a long way.
Reminding your workforce that their hard work doesn't go unnoticed can spur them on to continue to perform at a high level or, better still, perform at an even higher level.
