How many times today have you heard the phrase “I’m so Busy?” How many of us are tired of hearing that as an excuse? 🙋♀️
We all know Americans are notorious for adding too much to our plates and getting ourselves too involved in projects, organizations, and personal commitments. Then throw in there that maybe you are a mom trying to juggle continuous advancement in your career while trying to manage household duties and kids! Why do we feel the expectation that we should be Super Woman 😉 and be able to do it all? This expectation we put on ourselves is unrealistic and very unhealthy.
So, as a leader or decision maker in the company, what can we do to help our employees? Working in the Professional Employer Organization (PEO) industry has taught us at Preference, not only that each organization is so unique, but every employee responds differently to stress and time management. Everyone is busy and maybe taking on too much – this is firstly a good sign. You have dedicated employees believing in your company and your mission. Honestly, how cool is that. Secondly and most importantly, because of that we need to take care of our employees to retain them and keep their job satisfaction high. The return on investment in your employees is priceless. The cost of turnover is a number you probably don’t even want to hear, not to mention the time it takes (PSA: call Preference to help with any staffing needs!)
Our attention is often taken up by putting out the fires – conflict resolution, product, or customer service issues, creating new ways of doing business and replacing employees or working with employees that potentially need the most support working with. Don’t forget about your rockstar employees that are silently plugging away in the back. No news is often good news, but as leaders we must take time to recognize our team and all the work our employees do.
Here are some top ways to retain good employees. We’ve captured these common themes from our clients and co-employees.
- Show your appreciation for employees and tailor that appreciation to how employees best receive it. Is that in front of the entire team, thanking them for their hard work? Or, behind the scenes in private acknowledging that you see the work they are doing and recognize that they are working hard.
- Schedule one-on-one meetings with your employees. Nothing should wait for a review time or a resignation letter on your desk. Keep in touch with your employees and make time for them. Even if the meetings are short check-in times that will go a long way with your employee and team.
- Continue to foster an environment of open communication and listen to feedback. If you aren’t taking time to hear from your employees, you could be ignoring something bigger than you think. You have core values, continue to lead by those established values and encourage an environment for open communication. If employees feel heard, they are more invested in your company and the mission.
- Drive culture to encourage cross-training. If others on your team can help in times of heavy workflow, not only are you setting your business up for more success, but you are relieving the burden on employees who believe they are the only ones who can do their job. Employees need to take breaks, use PTO and feel they can walk away and truly disconnect.
Fargo-Moorhead is a great community built of so many amazing organizations and hard working people. We often talk about the employment issues and staffing needs. That is very important and high priority. It’s just as important to take care of your current team to ensure employee retention, job satisfaction and in turn, those employees will continue to work hard for your organization.