The secrets to keeping great employees

September 3, 2021

After nearly two decades in the workforce management industry, we at The West Egg Group of companies understand the importance of attracting and retaining great people.

Your employees are more than just staff members — they’re the heartbeat of your business and a driver of your success. And so, after taking the time to find, attract, onboard and train new team members, you want to be sure that they’re content in their roles and within the organization to prevent attrition.

Here are 5 tips for keeping great employees:

Tip #1

Uncover why people choose to leave your company. Then, fix it.

Employees leave their jobs for a reason. To uncover any issues (particularly those that may be recurring), consider offering exit interviews so that you may ask outgoing employees about their experience and what they would have liked to see done differently.

Also consider this. Before you get to the point when an employee has given their notice, you should be conducting regular employee engagement surveys to collect the feelings, experiences, and attitudes of your people. There are several ways in which to do this, ranging from simple anonymous online surveys to more robust employee engagement platforms that automatically measure your employee voice and engagement levels.

However you choose to collect your intel, ensure that you act on it — fast. Employees want to feel heard and see that it was worth the time they took to share their feedback.

Tip #2
Communicate the importance of each individual’s role

Employees generally perform better and are more content at work when they understand how their day-to-day impacts the business and contribute to the organization’s overall objectives.

This awareness provides individuals with a sense of purpose that drives better performance, and subsequently, better business outcomes.

Tip #3
Encourage ongoing (and positive) manager feedback

It’s important for employees to know how they’re doing as well as be recognized for great work. Require that your managers conduct regular formal or informal 1:1s or check-ins with each of their team members to provide them with constructive feedback on their performance. And, encourage mentorship to employees that want to further their career as well as to those who may need help finding success in their current roles.

Tip #4

Ensure that compensation is fair

Money is of course a main driver for most employees. While company culture and benefits play a role, it often comes down to earrings.

Ensure that you are conducting regular evaluations of pay scales for employees across your business. To be competitive and keep your top talent, you will need to pay at or above the industry standards.

Tip #5
Part amicably

While you may be frustrated to see good employees walk out the door, being happy for them when they find a new opportunity better suited to their needs or professional aspirations should take precedent.

This goes a long way to being seen positively from an employer brand perspective and helps with word-of-mouth across your industry. Plus, sometimes employees decide to return to their former employer once they experience a different work environment — so if they’ve left on good terms and you’d wished they’d stayed, it’s nice to have the option to welcome them back onboard.

For more tips on how to build and retain top-performing teams, contact us at The West Egg Group.