We always talk about employee recruitment, but how do we retain those employees in a way that makes them look at their job as more than just a paycheck?
I hate to start off this blog with a negative, but here’s a depressing statement, “In a recent survey, Gallup Research found that a high percentage of employees were not engaged, and worse, were disengaged at work.” This basically indicates that too many employees are there for the paycheck and not much else…and that can lead to workers leaving for another offer.
The statement quoted above and the topic itself appear in a recent IdeaXchange blog from Jane Clark, Vice President of Member Services for NationaLease. With her expansive expertise in the world of Human Resources, Jane is well aware of the importance of making employees feel as though they are personally invested in the company’s success.
It’s important to remember that you’re not the only company looking for qualified talent. Your competitors are eager to lure away your best employees; so the best way of retaining those employees is by promoting employee engagement policies. It’s also important to remember that it’s much costlier to recruit and train a new employee than it is to retain an existing one.
So how do you keep employees engaged? Jane makes a few suggestions:
- Clearly articulate your company’s goals and explain how employees can help make that happen
- Let employees know that their suggestions on how to make the company better are welcomed and appreciated.
- Share important, even sensitive, information with employees throughout the organization
- Offer employees opportunities for professional and personal development
Every company is different and some approaches will work better for one business vs. another. What is clear is that employees need to feel acknowledged, important, and appreciated. The reality is without them, you have no business so treat these most valuable human assets accordingly.
