How To Retain Talent?
75% of people who quit their roles do so because of their manager. This is by far the number one reason employees voluntarily leave their jobs.
It makes sense given, among other things, the fact that managers shape roles and responsibilities, and can make them (or not) challenging and fulfilling. The leader will either inspire or not. And the leader sets the tone of communication and culture.
Here’s a great exercise:
If you were to apply for the same job you are in now, would you do it?
Is the leadership style supporting your growth? Is the current culture in the company aligned with your values?
So, switching back to the employer side, can we actually retain talent? The short answer is – No.
- You can not retain. You can only inspire.
Sometimes, people grow faster than an organization/role. They may outgrow and leave, and we have to live with that. The world is small and very round, it’s important to handle such situations graciously.
- Inspire with the flexibility of work.
Companies that are not familiar with the remote work setup are afraid that employees might not be working enough. In fact, it’s burnout we should be worried about. Goal-driven professionals perform well when a clear goal, timelines, and appropriate resources are provided.
- Inspire during recruiting and onboarding.
1 in 4 employees quits during the first 90 days. I know it’s hectic when new people need to be onboarded while we are managing pipelines of candidates and everyone is busy with daily tasks. But it helps to think of employees as “customers” and be equally mindful of their journey. Let’s think about it.
- Constructive criticism?
We often dwell & focus on what did not work. What about putting the same amount of time and effort into dissecting achievements? It’s a great practice to make sure we repeat wins. Be specific about what you’re appreciating – thank you + for what exactly.
- Invest in tools and technology for all of our employees
So many things can be automated. The time of a “knowledge worker” is way too precious to be wasted on administrative, boring, repetitive (and brain-damaging) tasks. Let’s create more space for our team members to be human and nurture creativity, empathy, joy, and efficiency.
If you are looking for inspiration on tools and technologies, have a look at my previous article. I hope it helps.
