The Top 10 Ways to Retain & Empower Your Employees

Retaining top talent within an organization is essential. There are costs above and beyond financial when key individuals leave a company. Therefore, companies invested in success must include in their success formula a plan to continually "re-recruit" existing employees. While salary is often a factor when an employee decides to begin a new position – salary generally is NOT the reason that employees leave a job. A re-recruitment strategy includes looking at these reasons – and then, taking action on the findings. Create the kind of company that talented employees don't want to leave –recruitment then becomes a non-issue. Salary isn't everything!

1. Respect:

Respect and acknowledgement go a long way. We are all more than our jobs. Acknowledge your employees for being who they are as a person --not only for their technical abilities. Demonstrate your respect for them by treating them with dignity. Set the tone that your employees matter. Treat them as you'd want your own family members treated by their employers.

2. Communication:

Most of us aren't communicated to enough within our companies. We give our all to our jobs, yet often, companies don't provide us with core communication beyond employees' manuals, which just might include the company's mission statement. Find ways to communicate what your company's all about. Don't assume that your employees aren't interested in knowing more – they are. Find ways of repeating information in different contexts, to ensure that you reach everyone. Think creatively about how you might do this – staff meetings, company picnics, task forces, team-building sessions, or 1:1 when you walk down the hallway. Share the company's vision, mission, goals & objectives, performance and other relevant news with your employees. Provide your employees with a context so they understand how they fit into the big picture. Make sure that there is congruency of communication. That is, if the company has a policy of being on time for meetings, this should be met with congruency in the organization's timeliness for producing reports, or responding to customer or employee inquiries, etc. Be consistent with your message and communicate this on an on-going basis – verbally and in your actions.

3. Feedback:

We all appreciate feedback on a continual basis – don't ever just rely on an annual job performance evaluation! Provide your managers with coach training so they can effectively coach employees on an on-going basis. This will deepen the supervisory relationship and create a stronger bond – allowing for more honesty in the communication and growth in the employee. When managers utilize coaching techniques, employees are provided with invaluable opportunities for continuous development. This will matter as much, if not more than, the salary you provide the employee. Just as we get married to our spouses every day, so to do we re-commit to our employees every day. We recruit them every day; we give them performance appraisals every day. Give your employees reason to re-commit to their jobs, or to the company, on a daily basis.

4. Develop:

Provide your employees with training and development opportunities. It's not enough to provide them with verbal feedback about how they're performing at their job. You then need to take this a step further by providing them with tools and training that support their professional and personal development. Demonstrate your care for them by providing them with professional growth opportunities! This could mean tuition for advanced learning, or it could mean seminars, conferences or on-site training. Look into teleclasses as a cost-effective and convenient way of providing development for your staff. (If you're not familiar with teleclasses, contact me for more information. They're the latest training tool that businesses around the globe are utilizing. Teleclasses can be custom designed – and because they're conducted over the telephone, they're an ideal way to train and develop employees who are at scattered site locations.)

5. Tools:

Provide employees with the tools they need to do their jobs. This might sound obvious, but you'd be surprised at the things we ask our employees to do, without giving them the tools they need.

6. Listen:

Don't think that you always know the answer! Your employees are closer to the problems than you are – they're also probably closer to the solution! Provide employees with ways to communicate their ideas, so your company can stay ahead of the curve. The fact that your employees experience problems on a first hand basis means something; listen to them! In addition to finding creative solutions, you might also learn about problems you weren't even aware of. This is a plus.

7. Leadership:

Lead by example. Motivate and inspire your employees to be the best they can be. Think big and your employees will too -- provided you're communicating with them. Set a strong example by being the kind of leader they'll look up to. Walk the talk and move others forward by moving yourself forward. Leaders lead by example. Challenge yourself to greatness while being accessible and down to earth – they'll see in you a role model and a mentor.

8. Benefits:

Sure, salary's important as are vacation and holiday packages. But these days, the companies that retain their employees offer more than financial incentives. Companies that provide employees with quality of life benefits – especially those that support work/life balance – are deemed extremely desirable companies to work for. Invest in your employees! Provide them with a coach, a membership to a health club, on-site childcare or resources to help them deal with eldercare. Hire a masseuse once a month. Work/life balance is increasingly a challenge for most of us – provide your employees with the tools and resources that will help them in this area. By doing so, you'll more than get your money's worth in improved performance and retention.

9. Recognition Programs:

Employees enjoy feeling valued. They like knowing that exemplary performance will be noticed by management. When management recognizes stellar performance, employees feel appreciated. Feeling appreciated and valued goes a long way in nurturing your employees and retaining them. Think creatively for ways to reward or recognize your employees – this doesn't need to be expensive! A gift certificate, tickets to a cultural event, a morning off or a plaque are examples of how you might reward your employees. Better yet, ask your employees how THEY'D like to be rewarded – they'll appreciate your asking!

10. Value & Success:

We know that providing value to our customers is essential. We know that we need to constantly upgrade our product or service, the process by which we sell it, and our customer service procedures. Begin to think of your employees in the same way, but take it a step further. Don't only ask yourself how you can provide more value to your employees – instead, ask how you can help them be more successful. How can you be the kind of company that they'd WANT to work for? Don't take your employees for granted or think that they need you more than you need them. An arrogant approach won't endear your customers to you – nor will it endear your employees. Value your employees by helping them to become successful! Their success is your success. Doing this will upgrade your business rapidly.

Jan Gordon coaches individuals and teams who are dedicated to enhancing their performance, profitability and sense of fulfillment. Call me at (954) 917-3884 or toll free US and Canada (888) 867-1341. Sign up for my free newsletter by e-mailing me -- write "subscribe" in subject line.

This piece was originally submitted by Jan Gordon, LCSW, Executive, Career & Personal Coach, who can be reached at jan@qualitycoaching.com or visited on the web.