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Business Articles » Employees/Contractors
Ending the Revolving Door Syndrome: How to Keep Your Best Employees
by Joyce Weiss, Ph.D.
"My good employees are leaving the company as quickly as we train them."
"We are stressed out from being understaffed."
"Our exemplary employees don't give us a chance to show them what this
company is about before they make a quick exit."
"We are losing too many people."
Does this sound familiar? I'm fortunate to speak to thousands of people each
year. I show leaders easy ways to boost morale and the bottom line. I have asked
over 1,000 people in my audiences what their company could do to keep them from
leaving. The comments were the same from people in corporate America, the private
and the public sector, all over the United States.
This article is comprised of comments from interviews that I took from companies
that understand how to keep best employees. These are actual conversations. Some
are very positive - and others are real situations that caused good people to
leave.
Money is rarely the reason employees leave. Today's employee expects meaningful
work. They expect to be challenged. They demand feedback. "I wasn't listened
to" or "I found a company that believes in its people" were comments
that I heard most often.
Here are three ideas to start with:
- Make employees feel included.
- Use positive words along with constructive feedback to give positive reinforcement.
- Use a technique called Be Direct with Respect™
Make employees feel included
Do you hear your employees saying, "Our leaders are always in meetings
and they are not accessible. They don't include us with decisions that affect
us and the customers that we deal with."
Would your employees respond to these statements in a positive way?
- My department receives the cooperation it needs from other departments.
- I know my department's role in relationship to other departments.
- There is open communication among employees in my department.
- I have confidence in the ability of my co-workers.
- I am well informed about job openings.
The most qualified individuals are selected when job openings occur.If you
do not think their responses would be positive, discuss these issues. Get answers
that will help management become more accessible to staff. Make employees feel
their ideas are important.
Do what you can to schedule weekly or semi-weekly meetings of 15-30 minutes
with 5 people chosen randomly from various departments. Discuss (listen to) their
ideas for improving the work environment, inter-departmental relations, procedures,
and obstacles they encounter daily. Don't jump to conclusions about an idea...listen
to what they're saying. There may be more behind their comments than seems obvious.
Use both constructive feedback and positive reinforcement
Listen and act on the ideas brought by employees. I've learned from research
that good people are being ridiculed just because they have constructive ideas
on how their department or company can be improved.
"At one time I only complained to my manager. He said to give solutions.
My ideas got shot down when I gave a solution. I took this for a couple of years
and then left because I knew my ideas were valuable."
"My manager does not like my opinions. He/she takes them personally or
as an attack on the company. Listen to me and please tell me in a constructive
way why the ideas were not helpful." Creativity is squelched by not listening
to the employees.
"I left the last job because there was far too much focus on negative
issues and not enough recognition for the positive achievements."
"Stand by us with our customers. Customers don't respect us when management
complains about us to them. Help us learn so we don't repeat the same mistake.
"How about writing a note to two or three employees each week especially
when they took risks, calmed an irate customer, or attended a workshop on their
own time.
Be Direct with Respect™
Learn to be direct with respect. It encourages people to tell others what
they need to hear, not necessarily what they want to hear. Being direct with
respect is done in a positive manner to build rapport and relationships. This
helps us see our blind spots, and if used correctly, can be a gift in one's professional
growth. For example, say, "If I'm not carrying my weight and it's affecting
you, tell me in a positive way."
Make sure and focus on the behavior and not the personality. Tell employees
that you consider them a valuable team player and welcome their comments.
Here are some examples of straight talk questions to ask:
- What are three things I do that you like and dislike?
- What can we do about this?
- How do you think we can improve department and staff meetings?
- What would you do first if you became the leader of this business tomorrow
morning?
- What do you need to know about the business that you don't know?
- Do you feel confident to speak honestly without fear of retribution?
These ideas can and will help. Remember that they came from employees that
left companies that did not know how to listen or appreciate them. Companies
in every industry are waking up to the reality that they must make the motivation
of their employees the number one priority or risk falling behind the competition.
Joyce Weiss shows leaders easy ways to boost the bottom line. Be Direct with
Respect® is a fresh approach to increase morale. She is the author of Full
Speed Ahead: Become Driven by Change, and Take
the Ride of Your Life! Joyce has been quoted in USA TODAY, INC, Chicago
Tribune, Selling Power, and other national magazines. Visit Joyce at www.JoyceWeiss.com
and www.BuildLeaders.com.
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