In order for employee retention strategies to be effective, business owners need to think about putting practices and procedures in place before retaining employees becomes a problem. Therefore, employee retention should be a proactive approach.
We’ve compiled a list of the top 4 proactive employee retention strategies employers can do to reduce their turnover rate.
#1: Be transparent when hiring.
It’s important to make sure your job descriptions are reflective of the actual job. Seems like a no-brainer, right?
Unfortunately, it’s all too common for employers to provide job descriptions that only talk about part of the job. This is a problem because when employees accept a position, they decide they want the job based on the description you provide. And what happens when those expectations don’t match the reality of the job?
The employees quit.
Ask current or previous employees who held that position to proofread the description and provide feedback. If conducting an exit interview with the employee vacating the position, get their input on the tasks and responsibilities of the role. Speak to all of the requirements and expectations the position has, not just the “most important” ones. All of these approaches will help you create job descriptions that truly reflect the position you’re hiring for.
#2: Provide employees with sufficient training and development.
Appropriate training is vital to employee retention. Employees who are appropriately onboarded and trained for their position end up feeling like they are successful and capable of doing the work put in front of them. Furthermore, employees who have opportunity for growth and development have higher job satisfaction, resulting in a decreased likelihood of that employee leaving your organization for a different opportunity.
Keep in mind that training isn’t just important for new hires. Oftentimes, poor management leads to increased rates of employee turnover. This means that it’s imperative that employees in management or supervisory positions receive appropriate training/coaching so that they’re the kind of leaders employees want to work for.
#3: Establish employee recognition systems
A high five. A raise. A pat on the back. A shoutout at the next company or team meeting. A one-on-one chat. A monetary bonus. Some extra PTO. Some company swag….What do all of these things have in common?
They’re just SOME of the MANY ways businesses can show recognition to their employees.
Why is recognition important?
Well, to start, it’s nice. And it’s good to be nice. But also, it makes employees feel seen, appreciated, and valued. And employees who feel all of these things are less likely to look for opportunities elsewhere.
#4: Conduct stay interviews
Stay interviews are a great way to figure out what makes good employees want to stay in their job and at your organization. While stay interviews can be conducted in-house, employees often hold back on the insight they give due to a fear of repercussion. Therefore, the most effective way to gain information about how to keep employees happy is to hire a neutral, third party to conduct the stay interviews. This allows the employees to speak more freely and openly, which results in more valuable information.
The information gathered through stay interviews can then be used to make informed decisions regarding the things that matter most to your employees.
If implementing all of these employee retention strategies seems overwhelming, that’s okay. Choose one to start with. Work to get that one strategy in place, then choose another. Keep putting in the work and, before you know it, you’ll have multiple proactive strategies in place.
Another option is to bring in a professional to help you implement these strategies within your organization. That’s where we come in! With a quick, free 30 minute discovery call, we can begin to identify which employee retention strategies may be best for your organization and begin the work to get implementation plans in place.
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