Employee attrition has never been such a hot topic as it’s now.
Long gone are the bumper years of baby-boomers – absolutely everyone I talk to has issues retaining and recruiting staff at all levels.
So, we need to make sure our people stay!
What do you do to make sure that you don’t lose team members?
Here are a few things (only a selection!) to ponder, ideally, BEFORE someone hands in their notice:
Invest in leadership training: People don’t leave bad companies; they leave bad bosses.
Investing in leadership training is an essential strategy for organisations to retain talent, foster employee satisfaction, and improve overall performance. Poor leadership can lead to disengagement, high turnover, and a toxic work environment, while well-trained leaders can create supportive, inspiring workplaces where employees thrive. Leadership is often the make-or-break factor in the success of both individuals and organizations, making it one of the most important investments a company can make. I know this costs money -but recruiting, onboarding etc also costs a lot both in effort and money...so investing a little will save you a lot!
Career outlook: Company growth AND individual growth
Asking your employees where they want to be in a few years’ time is a crucial part of career development and employee engagement. Instead of making assumptions, leaders can make sure the support and develop the individual to career fulfilment and goal alignment. Asking about future goals encourages employees to think beyond their day-to-day tasks and consider the long-term trajectory of their careers. This broader perspective can help employees stay motivated, even when facing short-term challenges or change chaos.
Ask before it’s too late: Unless you ask, you don't actually know what will keep an employee
The three pillars of motivation are AUTONOMY, PURPOSE, and MASTERY (Dan Pink).
Be brave and ask your team members:
Autonomy: Are you happy with the level of autonomy you have at the moment? Are there areas where I could support you to manage your own time/resources/decision making scope more autonomous?
Purpose: What do you think is the purpose /goal of our team/the organisation? What excited you about this? How can I make this even more meaningful for you?
Mastery: how well do you think you can bring in your very best strengths and skills now? Is there something you would like to develop or haven’t quite mastered yet to your liking? And what could you do to achieve the level of mastery that you would like?
Grow and protect a positive workplace culture
Maya Angelou (American poet and beautiful thinker) said the following:
I’ve learned that
People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But will never forget how you made them feel.
A protective workplace culture sees the individual and values their contribution. Thank-you’s are genuine, achievements are celebrated. There is honest and consistent interest in the diversity a team displays. Mistakes can happen and are not punished. Feedback is given positively, affirmingly, regularly and kindly.
And if all of this wasn’t enough: conduct exit interviews and give return-tickets
When employees leave, take the opportunity to understand why. Conducting thorough exit interviews can reveal patterns or issues that may be driving turnover, allowing you to address them. Share these observations with other relevant parties so you can spot trends and act on them.
Giving a valued employee a return-ticket (ie if it-doesn’t-work-out-the-way-you-hoped-you-can-come-back-no-questions-asked) leaves a door open for them to return. By doing this, you say ‘we really DO value you even though you decide to leave us and we respect you want to try this new route for yourself, but we would also love you back! More often than you might think, this works and people return.
If you would like to chat this through with me, or would like to find out what a training day or programme on any of the subjects above would look like, please feel free to drop me a note (ricarda@ricardabaldock.com) or book yourself a slot to talk with me. I don't bite...!
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