There’s nothing more disheartening than finally putting together what seems like the perfect team, only to lose people due to factors out of your control. But is it really out of your control?
Sure, there can be instances where an employee’s choice to move on is one you can only gracefully accept – like certain personal circumstances and the difficulty of holding out against the competition. But by asking the right questions when considering your current and future team members, you can ensure that the benefits of staying are, more often than not, more appealing than the alternative.
Who
Employees want to be considered on a personal, individual basis. Think about what everyone needs on a person-by-person basis and check in to ensure they’re getting it or working toward a happy compromise. This means keeping a close eye on company culture, ensuring that everyone involved treats one another the way they ought to, and encouraging the kind of workplace they’d be happy to stay in and that new hires will be eager to become part of.
Why
Having the right person for the job isn’t just about a list of ticked checkboxes on a resume; it’s also about seeing that every person winds up in the right position for them, that they get to work on what they’re best at, and that they’re doing it in the way that makes them feel the most fulfilled. Talk with your employees and potential hires about what they’re looking for, and you’re much more likely to help them find a perfect fit that they won’t want to leave.
How
A significant factor in employee attrition is a sense of stagnation – after all, if you’re staying in one spot, it’s hard to think of how you can grow from there. You should be showing your employees that they have a future with you and exploring how that future might look, from both the company’s perspective and theirs. Talk with them about career growth and potential, and they’ll see that ‘moving up’ doesn’t have to mean ‘moving on’.
