Retaining Your Best Employees (2)

Nike Okunade

Motivation: It is common to observe that a motivated employee will want to contribute to work areas outside of his specific job description. Learn to tap into their skills, experience and talents. Employees are excited when you take advantage of their knowledge and capacities because it gives them a sense of recognition. For example, if there is a vacancy probably for a senior position and you consider your current employees first, they feel honoured and highly valued. Thus, such staff will work very hard to ensure the employer is not let down. It has been observed also that employees normally want to remain with organisations where they have opportunity for growth and promotion.

Fairness and Equity: In situations where a graduate of two years or three earns more than an employee with a higher qualification and about ten years of experience, you can be assured that such will lower the morale of other employees. Employers may make efforts to classify this kind of information, but the effort will always fail. Information of this type, rank among the worst kept secrets in companies, no matter the effort put into guarding it. An employee will definitely receive with shock news that a less qualified and experienced person earns superior pay. His/her morale will be affected and it is likely that he/she will start looking for another job. This could negatively impact on other employees too, as the story could be easily discerned as stemming from company policy. Therefore, when setting or raising employees’ salary, be careful the way it is done. It must be factually established that indeed the person deserves the raise. Each employee’s pay must be scientifically justifiable, requiring no jargon to explain to other employees. If any particular person is doing something special, others will see it and most probably agree that he/she deserves the additional motivation in the form, more pay.

Tools, time and training: Sometimes employees do not know what they are expected to do. Although, there are occasions in which the employee knows what to do quite alright but the time, tools, training, temperament and talent required may be unavailable. Non availability of tools and inadequate trainings are two major reasons why employees fail at work, consequently affecting staff retention.

Employers must provide necessary tools, time and training for employees to do their jobs very well, otherwise they will move to another employer who is ready to make provisions for that.

There must be an opportunity for employees to learn and grow in their careers, knowledge and skills. Deliberately create chances for employees to explore new opportunities, sit on challenging committees, attend seminars, read and discuss books. Ensure that a career-oriented, valued employee experiences growth opportunities within the organisation.

Take time to know your employees: The Managing Director of small companies or the departmental heads in large companies should take time to meet with employees one on one. This can be done periodically. This gives the opportunity to learn about employee talents, abilities and skills.

It will also make useful information available to management about individual staff, keeping the pulse of the organization clearly readable by leaders. Furthermore, it is an essential tool to help employees feel welcomed, acknowledged and loyal. A company may lose an employee if he/she feels that management does not know or care that he/she exists.

Threatening an employee’s income or job: Management needs to consider carefully before expressing anything that could be interpreted as a threat making employees feel they need to seek alternative employments. No matter the circumstance, never, ever threaten an employee’s job or income. Even if it is evident that layoffs loom may be because production goals cannot be met, it is a mistake to foreshadow this information with employees. No matter how well or careful the informed is phrased, they will become jittery and start looking somewhere else.

Reward, Recognition and Appreciation: This is another critical factor to retention success. Learn to frequently say thank you to your employees, it goes a long way. Understandable raises could be tied to accomplishment and achievements. Appropriate monetary rewards, bonuses and gifts will give your appreciation a better expression. It is a truism and must be borne in mind by management that in a way work is about money and everybody likes to have more of it.

Do a thorough check of your organization. Are you doing your very best to retain your best talents and to attract new ones?

Nike Okunnade is the HR Manager of Marketing Mix Co, Lagos based marketing consulting company. She can be reached on 080 3580 1010.