Employee Magnetism: How to Retain Your People
It's not enough to attract and bring the right employees into your organization. That would be too simple. Now that you've attracted and hired the 'right' ones, what do you plan on doing to keep them there? Your competition (industry and regional) is begging them to leave and chaining employees inside your business just doesn't work as a retention method!
- So what makes
your business so special? Why do your employees choose you over the competition?
If you don't know the answer, it's time to ask. If you think you know the
answer, double check to see if your answer matches theirs?
- At your next one-on-one meeting with each employee, ask the following questions:
- What attracted you to us when we hired you?
- What are the best parts about working here?
- Why do you stay?
- What should we be working on to make our workplace even better?
- Also, the next time an employee leaves your organization, ask them the same questions, changing the third question to: Why are you leaving?
- The answers to these questions may surprise you. Which employees give which answers may surprise you. But make sure that while you're listening to the answers, not to get defensive on the negatives or puffed up on the positives. Listen to their answers as a scientific observer. Write the answers down. And evaluate what answers you receive from your best and worst performers, your newest and oldest employees, your supervisors and your workers.
- Then take it a step further. First report the answers back to your employees, so that the message of why it's SO GOOD to work here is reinforced. They'll also know you took their responses seriously. Then have them participate in a group discussion where the team identifies what issues impact the workplace most. Lastly, have them identify and prioritize recommended changes. Your job is to clarify ahead that you might not be able to accomplish all of their recommendations, but that you're willing to consider whatever it takes to strengthen your organization's "opportunities."
- Following
through on this simple process will help you keep the right employees.
However, presenting your employees' list of "why I join and why I stay" to
future candidates, is a selling point that no other organization can beat.
Arlene Vernon, PHR, is a professional speaker, consultant and author on maximizing the human resources in your managers and your people. For more information on how HRx can help you achieve the results your organization seeks, contact Arlene today at HRx, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN, 952-996-0975, www.HRxcellence.com.
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