You used creative techniques to hire your new, good employees. Now let’s look at some creative techniques to keep good employees.
We’re hearing time and again right now that leaders find good employees, but they aren’t lasting. Whether there’s a “great resignation” or not, the main reasons that cause an employee to leave are still the same. Research says:
75% of people leave their jobs because of bad management.- Another reason they leave is for more money.
- Finally, another top reason people leave is because of a bad work culture.
You can keep these from being the reasons people leave your company.
With these reasons in mind, here’s a list of thinking-outside-the-box ways to keep your employees.
Immediate and thorough onboarding process
The first day is vital for every employee. It’s so important that a new employee feels valued, respected and like they’ve joined a positive work environment. An effective onboarding process might include a company overview presentation, an in-depth team introduction, a team lunch, and a CEO meet-and-greet. Take extra measures to make sure that your new employee feels like they belong as soon as they arrive.
Build trust by giving extra responsibilities
Don’t fall into the mindset that more responsibilities is a negative. Instead, consider that this shows your employee you trust them and want them to take on more in a leadership capacity.
Famed digital agency Big Spaceship offers food for thought. Employees at Big Spaceship are encouraged to operate more-or-less autonomously, as experts in their own domain. This drives them to own their responsibilities and challenge themselves, ultimately contributing to better teamwork and more concern for company bottom-line.
Give timely promotions & incremental rewards
It’s necessary to reward good work with annual salaries, bonuses and options to buy into your company. Career development is important for your top performers and if they feel they can advance in your company, they’ll stick with you for their career.
Involve employees in the decision-making process
Including employees in company meetings and decisions shows them that you value their thoughts and input. On the other hand, when you make decisions behind closed doors, you create a barrier between management and employees that leaves them feeling a lack of trust and confidence.
Be flexible with work schedules
Not every position needs to require that 9 to 5 mentality. One of the main things people want in their work lives is control… the ability to have control over their own time vs you trying to control their time. Allowing people to work a flexible schedule decreases absenteeism and increases loyalty and morale. Be deliberate about looking for ways to allow employees to start work earlier, stay late, work from home, leave and come back during a shift, and skip unnecessary commutes. It shows you truly value them and their families first.
Find ways to make work-from-home work
Know that there’s no better time than now to find ways to make remote, work-from-home options available, even if they’re just partial remote work options and part in-office. These options are appealing to many and if 2020/2021 taught us anything, it’s that more jobs can be done from home than we ever thought possible. Make sure you advertise for these options as well.
Get to know your employees personally
Consider having employees fill out factoid sheets about themselves when they’re hired and use this information to find out how they best feel appreciated. Is it with a small note letting them know? Is it with a verbal uplifting conversation? Is it with a bag of popcorn and an iced tea? Each employee is different and meeting them where they prefer to be met shows them that you truly care.
For more tips and out of the box ideas to keep good employees, visit https://crm.org/articles/how-to-retain-employees
The root cause of employees leaving is almost always something in your work environment. Whether you’ve been intentional or accidental in creating this work culture, the space that a new employee walks into holds a lot of power in determining if that employee will be in it for the long haul.
The best way to keep good employees is to ensure that your company has defined its work culture and hires people who match it.
