I hate to be the bearer of bad news, human resources manager, but odds are, your employees aren’t happy. Studies show more than half of workers in the US workforce are actively looking to jump ship from their current company to a better position elsewhere. There’s a number of reasons these job hunters give for being on the lookout; these include better pay, more appealing benefits, improved company culture, and other factors.
Now, the good news: employees want to do good work. They’re desperately seeking a secure, stable job that pays well, allows them to maintain a decent work/life balance, and affords at least a little flexibility in work schedule. If your company works harder to deliver the things your dissatisfied employees want, they’re more likely to stay put—and you’ll be able to reduce turnover, along with the expenses and headaches associated with having to replace a departed staffer.
Here’s a number of steps human resources professionals can work with management to help increase employee retention, and satisfaction:
Talk to them
Workers that feel their skills aren’t being used or developed properly might not tell you what they need—just ask them. Chances are, they have a good idea of what’s missing, and what steps staff and managers can take together to fix that gap.
Offer skill-building resources
It’s natural for managers to worry that sending employees to training could merely make them more appealing to a new employer. Don’t think about that—sure, there’s a risk, but more importantly, training makes them feel more valuable to their current company, motivating them to do better and providing new skill sets to help the company excel.
Remind them they do good work
It’s amazing how much mileage a company can get out of telling an employee “good job”—and there are a number of ways to do it. Supervisors can literally say those words to a well-performing staffer, or they can offer small perks, like lunch or a paid day off. The important thing is to remind them they matter and that their work is important.
Cultivate company culture
We’ve talked about the importance of building a good culture, for good reason. If the work environment is enjoyable, and if employees enjoy each other’s company, they’re more likely to appreciate that they’ve got a good thing going with your firm, and less likely to leave the company.
Obviously, there are some employees you can’t keep on board no matter what you do—sometimes the fit between worker and workplace isn’t good, life events necessitate a change in geography, etc. However, if HR managers and supervisors put forth an effort to make employees feel valued and welcome, they’re more likely to stay. If you’d like more solid advice on improving retention, contact us; we’d love to help.
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