Article on Leadership Skills:
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Source: www.what-are-good-leadership-skills.com, ©Emily A. Sterrett, Ph.D. Reprinted with permission.
Retain Employees by Showing Them
You Value Them
If we can believe the “experts,” employers are heading for a period of years in which there will be fewer employees to select from when replacing lost employees or when adding new positions to the organizational workforce. There are a number of factors that contribute to this situation, among them: 1) there are simply fewer 18-21 year olds entering the workforce; 2) many babyboomers (50-something and 60-something workers) will be retiring or looking to reduce their work hours. Whether you terminate an employee or they voluntarily leave your organization, turnover is costly. Most estimates indicate that the cost of replacing a worker is about 50% of his or her yearly salary/wages. If you lose three people who are earning about $30,000 yearly, your cost to replace those people is somewhere in the vicinity of $45,000—a sobering figure. Studies show that most employees WANT to do a good job at work. It may not always appear that way to their leaders, but it’s a rare employee who genuinely wants to sabotage or confound their employer. When supplies of available workers become scarce, it is particularly important to do your best to retain current workers. Studies consistently show that 30-60% of workers are “looking for work” at any given time; even if they are not actively looking, some of your most valuable employees and managers may have the attitude of being “open” to possibilities. If they hear of a good opportunity or they get a call from a headhunter, what’s to prevent them from leaving you? YOU prevent them from leaving, and here’s how you do it: A recent article in one of my professional magazines (for human resources professionals) discusses the fact that employees who feel unappreciated are far more likely to quit, are less likely to be highly motivated while on the job, and are more likely to be absent or tardy. • Make sure your people have the instruction they need to comply with any changes in their job tasks. Is there a new order fulfillment process? Is a new software system being implemented? If so, make sure they know how their jobs will change as a result. Where/when will they get the training they need? When possible, provide instructions both verbally and in a brief, written form as well (for reference).
• Be sure your employee knows your exact expectations for deadline dates, finished product quality, or performance numbers—especially if any of these items/expectations have recently changed.
• Help them to understand “why” we are now doing it “this way,” instead of the “old way.” When you explain why, your employees feel like they are smart enough and important enough to know the whole story. Knowing “why” helps them to feel more appreciated and like they are a more significant part of the organization.
• Use more opportunities to offer your employees praise and gratitude. Look for opportunities to notice the good—even if what the employee did is part of their usual job responsibilities. Thank them for specific work they performed well (was their contribution especially prompt, complete, or team-oriented?) Be as immediate and focused as possible when you thank or praise an employee; otherwise, it may sound phony or manipulative. (“You’re great,” is less effective than saying, “Thanks for dropping everything yesterday to get the Warwick proposal revised.”)
• Ask your employees what they need in order to do their jobs better—what would help them? But if you ask, be prepared to hear the answer and to act on their suggestions. If you have little intention of following through, don’t even ask! Remember that your role as a manager, supervisor, or team leader is to help your employees succeed. If you ignore or minimize their concerns, they are more likely to question whether you even care if they work for you or not. If they get that perception (even if they are “wrong” and you DO care), you are likely to see increased turnover. If turnover is high in your organization or your department, do some honest reflection and consider how you may be contributing (even inadvertently) to employees’ feeling undervalued. Set a new goal for yourself to show more appreciation to all your employees on a regular basis.
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