Kreg Enderson
Employee Retention-How To Keep People Happy and Focused
Employee turnover impacts an organization in a variety of
ways, most of which are negative. High turnover generates
not only heavy tangible costs, but takes its toll on the
current team members as well. So what can you do to reduce
the cost of continually bringing in new people? Here are
just a few reasons for high turnover and some strategies to
correct.
First of all, not all turnover is bad. When I see an
organization that has not fired anyone in a very long time,
that tells me that the culture there is very tolerant and
most likely has few if any over achievers. If you were a
highly ambitious person, would you want to work in a place
where achievement goes unnoticed? Many times, companies
will have "upgrading" periods where the management team
identifies the lower 2-3%, and lays them off. So if you
are not moving some percentage of your people out the door
on a regular basis, you are missing out on a great
opportunity to find much better performers.
The number one reason why people leave an organization is
because of their manager. Think of what the manager
influences in the team member's activities and overall
success. Managers control compensation, time away
approval, day to day expectations, and last but certainly
not least, the overall environment. Managers determine
whether or not the team member "wants" to come to work
every day. Managers can generate a team that is just fun
to be around, a team that works well together and all know
what is expected of them.
Do you support your team members? In other words, when
team members need your help, are you there? Do you do what
she can to remove roadblocks for them, so their job is as
easy as possible? How supported people feel directly
impacts how they feel while at work, and how long they will
stay. Great managers do not wait for team members to come
to them, they "notice" changes in people and seek out the
reason.
Do you recognize and reward outstanding efforts? Notice I
did not say "results". Great managers know that not every
effort creates the desired results. Often times there are
circumstances that are beyond the control of the team
member. Knowing the level of effort people are placing
into their role, and providing feedback on how to make
changes to produce results is the job of the leader. So be
involved enough to know who is really working hard, and
provide rewards and recognition for those efforts. This
also communicates to others just what behavior you value
and expect.
Do you lead in a "teaching" fashion? One of the simple
ways we motivate people is by teaching them new things.
When we stop learning, our job becomes routine, and we
often times start to look for new opportunities.
Delegation skills are critical in the teaching process, as
it not only is a great way to get more done, but also
provides a process to teach people new tasks and
potentially prepare them for a promotion. Often times new
managers tend to hang on to day to day functions, because
they feel it is just faster to perform them themselves.
Make sure you create a continual learning program, that
provides people with ways to feel that they contribute more
to the organization.
There are many more areas that effect the amount of
turn-over you experience, but staying focused on the
effectiveness of your leaders is one of the fasted ways to
reduce turn-over and improve overall team performance.
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