Ricardo Barriga

Staff turnover is disruptive, expensive, affects team morale and productivity, and some can come as a total surprise (sometimes for all the wrong reasons). Retaining your best staff is essential, and some businesses do it better than others. Here’re six steps you can take to avoid those any future walk-outs.

1.     Staff Retention

Employee retention begins during the job interview process. No matter how much you want to keep an employee on and no matter how much you do to influence their decision to stay, ultimately the employee is the one who decides whether to stay or go. It’s a bit of a balancing act and the initial time you can directly influence the employee’s side of the equation is when you hire them after that it’s up to you on how you decide to manage them. Many times we see managers who struggle with how to communicate best with their staff. Leading to misunderstandings and the start of a negative work culture.

2.     Communication (Feedback)

Everyone has a deep desire to succeed in their role. To see their talents and capabilities used to the best extent to make a difference in their company. When people sense their actions are fulfilling this desire, they begin to develop a sense of belonging and a feeling that your company is ‘their company’. It’s not enough for you to give vague feedback. Your employees want to see the result of their work. They want to have that concrete object that they can rest their pride on; they need to see the results with their own two eyes.

3.     Work life balance

You can’t expect your employees to function like robots. To keep them operating at their most efficient level and stop them from harbouring ill will against you or the company, you have to allow and encourage them to have a healthy work/life balance. Some people are simply “hardwired” to work. As the Manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your workers get enough time to recharge their batteries. It could be a week off every six months, or a long weekend every now and then. Finding that balance will keep your employees happy, productive, and help them strengthen their personal bond with your company.

4.     Lead by example

People want to work for the winners. Not only does this ensure employment longevity, but it also instils a sense of pride. Long gone are the days when, as a manager, you would sit behind a desk waiting for your employees to do their work to pay your wage. If you want to stay in the position of manager and have your staff follow the right habits, then your attitude towards work and team culture is crucial. Also, maintain an open door policy as this will assist you with understanding your team’s needs.

5.     Training, mentoring and coaching

This is vital, as it will determine how you value your employees. If you believe that your staff don’t need training, and that mentoring and coaching is not for you, then be prepared to lose your best team members to your competitors as well as valued customers. As the manager, you can arrange for external sales companies to train and coach your team. Also consider, the image you’re portraying; are you motivating your team? Aim to update your skills and lead by example. We should always look for ways to improve ourselves.

6.     Give Your Employees Options

Consider cross-training and mentorship programs. Create a leadership ladder that can help individuals earn the skills they need to move up. Good employees (the ones dedicated to your company—the people you want to keep) want the opportunity to advance, not just maintain momentum.

Author: Ricardo Barriga