The average person will hold over 11 jobs in their lifetime. That number only increases when you look at millennials. Of course, there are varying reasons for this trend. But one that can’t be overlooked is employee loyalty, or lack of loyalty in many cases. Many times, people assume the organizations with the most money have the highest rates of loyalty, but this is not always the case. In a recent article in Business Insider, they highlight 4 tips that any organization (public, private, large, small, profitable etc) can do to keep great employees- and it’s not about money.
1. Good communication
Communication is one of those things that gets talked about (a lot) but changes are hard to come by. However, there are some standard rules that everyone should follow: communicate often, much more than you think you need to. Communicate about things that matter, not trivia. Be as open and as honest as you can, but not rude. Communicate simply and don’t make things more complicated than they are. If possible, communicate in-person, not through email or office communicator. Communicate in the moment, don’t let issues fester. Most importantly, as the article says, “communicate–you’re in a relationship with these people.”
2. Consistency. According to the article, “Sometimes good employees leave for clearly defined, explicable reasons, but often they leave for reasons that even they find hard to articulate.” The “death by one thousands cuts” is a standard reason for leaving. But how did that happen? According to the article, it boils down to inconsistency, a lack of trust, and an overall lack of respect in how someone has been treated. People like consistency and knowing where they stand. As the article notes, this can be improved by doing what you say you’ll do, making things happen, and following through on your word, no matter how small the task. Show respect by being consistent and enforce the same consistency in others.
3. The opportunity to do great work. Give people the opportunity to do great work, and recognize what work that is. Great employees won’t stay at an organization while managers do everything important, or play favorites with who gets to do the good stuff. If it’s not balanced, people will find a place that is more balanced and their work is appreciated.
4. A decent, non-toxic manager. “People don’t leave jobs, they leave managers.” In every exit poll, one reason for leaving consistently tops the list, and that is bad managers. How do you overcome this? According to the article, “Don’t make someone a manager because they’re not cutting it in their day job. Don’t make your cousin Jimmy a manager because your sister asked for a favor.” Choose managers who do all of the above: communicate well, are consistent and let their people do great work. It also doesn’t hurt to pick managers that were good at their job.
What do you think? What would you add to the list?