Coming up with a business idea and building it up from square one is hard enough, but the challenges don’t end there.
Once your company is up and running, you need to bring talented team players on board and ensure that they are engaged, satisfied in their roles, and delivering their best performances every day. On top of that, you don’t have them running for the door!
Employee retention is more important than ever, and here is what business leaders have to say about this pivotal topic.
Creative Freedom
People often say that some jobs are “soul-sucking” but what do they really mean?
When you look closer, you’ll find that those types of roles allow for no creativity or freedom of self-expression. Of course, some roles are just more formulaic than others, but companies can do a lot from a cultural standpoint to allow for more creative input to solving problems.
“Improving employee retention boils down to how well you can make each team member feel important,” said Kamron Kunce, Senior Marketing Manager at 4Patriots. “Everyone should have a role on the team and feel some sort of responsibility for the products you produce. This means give your employees freedom in the workspace. At 4Patriots we strive to give independence to all of our employees. If we can create a workplace environment that gives everyone the freedom to work within their skill sets, then we will find that far more gets accomplished. Understand your employees needs and who they are as people so that you can better suit their working style and ensure that they are the kings and queens of their niche in the office.”
It’s no coincidence that creatively oriented companies often pull ahead of the competition and leave them in the dust. TextSanity. “If the work that you assign has no meaning to your employees or feels unchallenging, then you will find that a majority of your employees will not be too thrilled to get to work and accomplish the tasks assigned. Find ways to make the little assignments sparkle. Do not make someone go through a boring task for their entire shift, shake things up. If you can throw in a bit of fun at work and keep the mundaneness to a minimum, then employee happiness and productivity will be increased.”
It’s not all fun and games all the time, but a lighthearted attitude in the workplace makes a huge difference for engagement and retention.
Internal Promotion
From an employee’s perspective, it’s not worth sticking around at a job for very long if they don’t see a future for themselves within the organization.
Managers should open up a dialogue with their team members and ask where they see themselves in the short and long terms. This will get the gears going and perhaps spark a renewed interest in projects or roles.
“Promotion from within,” said Adam Reed, CEO of Crown & Paw. “Being transparent about the long-term goals and plans for the company as a whole. Weekly check-ins with key management, and having your managers perform similar check-ins with their respective departments. Fair wages even when outsourcing overseas is important, as well as understanding the work culture of the countries to which you’re outsourcing. E.g. the Philippines observes a ’13th-month’ bonus, and if you’re contracting to the Philippines, you should be respectful of this and other traditions.”
We all have different life priorities and visions of success, so keep that in mind when conversing with employees about their plans moving forward.
Ask Around
Does it feel like you can just never tell where certain employees stand, or how they’re feeling about their experience in the workplace? Some people just keep their cards close to the chest, and you need to get them to open up to share their thoughts.
“Improving employee retention is typically rooted in employee engagement, meaning that leaders must ensure that each team member is happy with their role in the company,” said Josh Stomel, Founder of Turbo Finance. “To do this, offer opportunities for growth and be sure to promote from within. Additionally, you can keep a pulse on your employee engagement with the regular use of anonymous surveys.”
As they say in business and life – it never hurts to ask.
Provide a Platform
When employees don’t have a way to voice their opinions or air their grievances, how can you expect them to be satisfied or remain in their roles for very long?
There might be problems bubbling just beneath the surface that you aren’t aware of, so give employees a way to speak up and listen to their every word. That’s the only way to solve issues before they boil over.
“When focusing on employee retention, it is vital to make sure your employees feel appreciated and heard,” said Jason Akatiff, Co-Founder of Boundery. “Employees want to have a voice within the company; they don’t want to be taskmasters; they want to feel valued and needed. Understanding their needs and developing systems that showcase that appreciation is key to employee retention. Furthermore, managers need to stay on track with each employees’ development. It is up to the manager to challenge each employee with a steady pace of growth that is pushing them to learn but not at the speed of being overwhelmed.”
It requires an ego-check, but listening to feedback is the true key to engagement and retention.
Reconsider Roles
Back in the day, it wasn’t very common for people to switch jobs or even roles within a company. Now, the dynamic is way different, and employees are jumping from one place to the next with no apparent rhyme or reason.
Rather than worrying about this phenomenon, use it to your advantage and talk about how employees can rethink their roles at the company.
“We sometimes think that poor employee engagement comes from overworking our staff, but sometimes they feel disengaged because their work is too mundane or not challenging enough,” said John Berry, CEO of Berry Law. “Be sure to talk with employees to see where they’re at mentally and adjust their roles to make things more interesting.”
Some ideas will simply be undoable, but it’s wise to be open to them all.
Don’t Chase Perfection
Ever met the archetypical “people pleaser” who wants to appear nice but never actually solve any problems? That’s not the type of person you want on your team!
It’s sometimes better to say the hard truths and get to the roots of the problems instead of beating around the bush to no end.
“It’s impossible to please everyone in your organization all the time,” said Dan Potter, Co-Founder of Craftd. “That’s a pipe dream and just an unrealistic way to look at life. Instead, your focus should be on solving problems in a precise, expedient way and keep things moving in the right direction. That’s how you get employees to stay on board with you long-term.”
It’s like ripping off a band-aid. It hurts for a second, but the wound will be healed.
Discuss Future Plans
Never underestimate what your employees can do for your company, or how your partnerships can move forward in productive new ways.
That brand new hire might be sitting in the executive office one day if they have what it takes, so give everyone a chance to shine and talk about their vision for the future.
This is especially true in the world of remote work when anything is possible.
“With everyone working from their home offices, employees have more power than they did in the past,” said Katie Lyon, Co-Founder of Allegiance Flag Supply. “This is a good opportunity to check in with all the top talent within your organization and talk about their path forward at the company. They want to know there’s a future for them and what they can do to advance.”
Pursue Greatness
Instinct tells us to look to our superiors and reflect their behavior. That’s how we learn from parents, teachers, mentors, and leaders in the workplace.
Some business leaders just aren’t pulling their weight, and that ends up setting a bad example for everyone else in the organization.
“We can’t expect employees to overachieve if we aren’t setting that precedent of excellence ourselves,” said Dan Widmaier, Founder of Mylo Unleather. “If there’s an area that you can improve on, don’t just brush it off. Make those positive changes and others will follow suit.”
Sometimes we all need to look in the mirror and address our own shortcomings before claiming that other people are the problem!
Earn Loyalty
Never underestimate the power of a unifying goal across a company.
The last thing you want is for employees to be unaware of the direction of the organization, and lack visibility into other departments or operations.
Reinforce your mission and watch loyalty improve by bringing everyone together.
“Right now, companies really need to double down on their mission and make sure every single employee is on the same page,” said Abraham Rahmanizadeh, COO of Leafwell Botanicals. “This will show you who is really in it for the long haul, and maybe force you to rethink roles or do some restructuring if necessary.”
If some people aren’t on board with the plan, so be it. Find people who are all-in.
Simplify Engagement
MBAs and so-called business experts often talk about engagement like some quantum equation with no realistic answer. Theory and strategy can offer some useful insights, but at the end of the day, we’re simply dealing with real human beings.
“Employee engagement isn’t some mysterious or unattainable thing that so many people make it out to be,” said Matt Seaburn, Partner and President of Rent A Wheel. “It’s really just being a good person, being present for your staff, and setting a good example by leading from the front instead of commanding from the top down.”
If you’re wondering why employees seem distant or disconnected, it might be time to take it back to basics.
Invest in Culture
Take a quick look around your company (or digital workplace) and put yourself in the shoes of each employee. From their perspective, is this an engaging and enjoyable place to work?
If you aren’t 100% confident that the answer is “yes”, you’ve got some work to do of your own with respect to company culture.
“It’s very popular to talk about company culture, but very few organizations actually put their money where their mouth is in this regard,” said Brittany Dolin, Co-Founder of PocketBook Agency. “What is your company doing to improve culture, and are those efforts actually working? These are tough questions, but vitally important ones to ask.”
When your company culture is exceptional, retention isn’t even an issue.
Be Goal-Oriented
Great business leaders hold high standards for their workers, but they also share wins together and celebrate the small achievements that make everyday worthwhile.
Don’t be the type of manager or supervisor who never gives positive feedback or gets excited about victories. That’s only going to hurt your team’s confidence and make people rethink their place at the company.
“It might seem obvious, but a great way to improve employee retention is to simply set goals and hit them, one after the next,” said Scott Rosenberg, CRO of MaryRuth Organics. “Be open about your achievements as a company and get people excited to be there. We all want to be on the winning team – that’s just human nature.”
Temper Growth
The nature of modern business is to grow, grow, then grow some more. That’s a noble goal for sure, but it can often come at the cost of employee engagement.
Instead of blindly scaling up your business to maximize growth in an extremely short timeframe, take it a bit more slowly and hire people who are truly great fits for the organization.
“One of the best ways to manage a growing team is to keep your eye on employee retention,” said Jordan Dwayne, CEO and Founder of 6 Ice. “If your current employees aren’t engaged and happy in their roles, then it’s hardly likely that new team members will feel any differently. Be sure to provide ways in which employees can move to other departments, where they may be a better fit. And you’ll always want to inspire patterns of growth.”
Growth will come naturally if you stick to the fundamentals, so don’t rush it.
Family Style
The most successful small businesses call themselves family, and it’s not an exaggeration.
These are the types of companies that inspire long-term loyalty and never even have to worry about things like engagement or retention – it’s just a given!
“I have nothing but admiration for our entire team, both individually and as people,” said David Jiang, Founder and CEO of Reason to Smile. “We treat them like family. We believe in team building and making sure our team takes care of its mental health as well. We also keep each other motivated by hiking or just getting outdoors, in general, and we look forward to those times.”
Not all companies can achieve this close-knit family feel, but you can take steps to make your business a better place to work every day.
Mentorship Works
Have you ever had a mentor who shows you the ropes of a new workplace and is there to help you overcome that tough first learning curve? Sometimes it just happens naturally, but that’s not always the case, especially in the digital world.
Consider implementing a mentor program to help newcomers connect and make sense of their new roles. It can really help smooth the process.
“Pairing a new employee with a mentor is a great component to add to an onboarding process,” said Lezlie Karls, CEO of Mid-Day Squares. “Mentors are great to have because they are able to offer guidance whenever new employees seek it and are great when welcoming them into the company. The newbie will never feel like they are alone. It’s also great because this helps mentors look at things from a fresh and new set of eyes, all while newbies are learning the ins and out of the job.”
What goes around comes around, and mentors will also be more engaged when they have that added responsibility.
Talk About It
A lack of communication is the ultimate retention killer. Employees need to feel that their voices are heard, and that issues will be solved in a discrete, expedient manner.
Even when things seem like smooth sailing, be open to feedback and check-in with employees on a frequent basis.
“Communicating effectively helps employee retention,” said Eric Gist, CEO of Awesome OS. “Keeping open lines of communication is important because you want employees to feel like they are in a safe space to open up and bring in new ideas, along with sharing their concerns. Being honest with them and sharing feedback that’ll help them improve in their position allows the job to be less stagnant and allows for them to grow by sharing the improvements needed in their performance. Rather than meeting with employees once every quarter, schedule something to happen more often on a regular basis so it can keep the line of communication open.”
Don’t be the kind of company that keeps secrets or puts a cap on employee expression. That’s not going to turn out very well in the long run.
Promote Passion
Everyone talks about passion in the world of business, but how many companies really allow their workers to explore different roles and try new things?
Some businesses are now letting employees switch around roles and take on different responsibilities to see if they might be more suitable to something new. That’s a practice that should be far more universal.
“One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest in themselves,” said Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. “You don’t choose your passions; your passions choose you.”
It might take months or years for some employees to find their stride. Then, they’re an indispensable asset to your team.
Allow for Balance
Businesses around the world are loving the cash savings and productivity boosts that come with the digital environment, and we don’t blame them!
On the flip side, many of their employees are now struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and that’s a problem waiting to happen.
“Allow for employees to have access to living a healthy work-life balance,” said Michael Scott Cohen, CEO of Harper and Scott. “It’s unrealistic to expect staff to work long hours and still be at your call afterwards. This causes employees to lose motivation and hate their job. As a result, it creates disappointing job satisfaction. Encouraging staff to take advantage of vacation time, and finding ways to compensate for their long days is always a plus. Most importantly, remember your employees are humans, not robots, and eventually, they’ll crash if overworked.”
Just as you set boundaries for yourself in work and life, do the same for your team members so that they don’t burn out and stay in the game.
High Fives
What is the best motivator in the universe? Doing something well, getting recognized for your achievements, and wanting more of that good feeling in the future.
You don’t need to break the 8-figure mark or reinvent the space shuttle to enjoy some wins now and then, so be generous with your praise and learn to give more high fives all around.
“Acknowledge the little wins,” said Sean O’Brien, CMO of Modloft. “Whether they’re large or small, all wins are important and deserve to be celebrated. Taking the chance to celebrate these wins is a great way to have everyone bond and improve employee retention.”
Not only will this make employees more excited to show up to work, but that positive attitude will carry over into every project and objective.
Wellness Matters
After all that has happened in the world lately, we should all be making health a top priority. Not only for ourselves, but for our coworkers and team members as well.
We can’t make anyone do something they don’t want to do, but incentivizing wellness and offering useful programs can really make your teams more healthy and resilient.
“Making sure your employees are fit mentally and physically is crucial to getting their job done,” said Artie Baxter, CEO of Paperclip. “Implementing mental wellness offerings such as stress management programs are beneficial to employee retention because this shows that you prioritize the employees overall health above the job, which is often difficult to seek at times. Providing gym access are also additional incentives to consider adding on for your employees to be at their best.”
As you might have guessed, healthy workers tend to stick around and perform at their peak.
Get to the Root
The reason that retention is so tricky to address is that the real underlying issue is hard to identify. Sometimes it’s just the nature of the work, and other times there may be certain individual or structural issues that just need to be removed altogether.
You might not know the problem right now, but you need to do your best to figure out what it is, and fast.
“Some departments are just more prone to turnover, and there’s not much you can do about it,” said Kelli Lane, Chief Marketing Officer of Genexa. “However, if your company seems to have a constantly rotating cast of characters, that signifies a more deep-seated problem that you need to address immediately.”
Survey Says
Employees come and go, and that’s just part of the game in business. However, you don’t want to just watch workers leave and not listen to what they have to say. They might have valuable insights that can improve your business and limit future retention issues.
“Anonymous surveys can be a great way to really understand how fully your employees are engaged,” said Timmy Yanchun, Co-Founder of LTHR Shaving. “The feedback that is received can be imperative when it comes to making company changes, and finding ways to improve upon employee relationships. Expect to see your retention levels rise!”
Some complaints will be irrelevant or even wild, but you need to take all the feedback you can get in this current climate.
Recognize Excellence
It’s the end of a long, tough week and everyone is totally spent. Do you just waltz into the weekend without a word, or do you take the time to acknowledge everyone’s efforts and make them feel appreciated?
That’s the difference between a company that struggles with things like retention versus one that has an amazing, loyal team of winners.
“It is so important to continually motivate employees and show gratitude to them,” said Lauren Bosworth, CEO of Love Wellness. “When you recognize each individual, it shows that their hard work has not gone unnoticed and ultimately helps to create a positive work environment.”
Just a brief meeting or bulletin is all it takes to say thanks, so just do it.
Break the Cycle
Some businesses just go through the same old story, time and time again, turning over one employee after the next. Instead of figuring out the reason behind it all, they choose to live in ignorance. Unbelievable!
Accountability is the key word here, and we could all use a little more.
“Everyone, even the highest achievers in our complex interrelated society, can get stuck in the victim cycle on occasion, but those who believe in accountability never remain there for long,” said Senator, Author and Futurist Craig Hickman.
If this sounds like your company or a place you’ve been to before, do what you can to change the culture and turn the tables around.
Money Talks
Ready for the most obvious statement of the century? People stay with your company longer when they’re properly compensated!
This shouldn’t be a revelation to any of you, but it’s always something to keep in mind if your business is struggling to retain top talent.
“We also give our employees bonuses and have compensation structures,” said Grant Hosking, CEO of Total Hydration. “Our aim is to reward them through our company culture. We have designed our work culture to benefit entrepreneurs, self-starters and others who share in our mission.”
Culture goes a long way, but cash is the great equalizer.
High Energy
What attracts top performers to certain organizations while other businesses can’t seem to hold onto their team members? It’s not always about the products or the prestige, but rather the pure excitement of being in an inspired, high-energy environment.
“We believe the best way to retain employees is to first recruit and select those who align well with our company’s culture, which is energetic, competitive, embraces continuous improvement and operates with candor and humility,” said Eric Kaye, CEO of Kayezen. “We purposely look for people with a passion for building their own physical and mental resilience, and who enjoy helping others do the same.”
Now is the time to really make employee retention a primary goal for your organization, no matter where your business stands. It’s one of those all-revealing metrics that tell you so much about where you’re at as a company – and what needs to be done to improve.
