Having a team of managers who are well-trained and continually educated on employee motivation, embeddedness, job satisfaction, recognition, and retention strategies can make all the difference in keeping good employees with your company. It is far easier and less expensive to retain staff than to try to find new talent. Good managers overseeing good employees may be the formula to retention success!
What Managers Need to Keep Good Staff Begins with Respect
It’s been said many times that employees don’t leave the company or buildings. Instead, they leave their manager. What do managers need to do to keep good employees working? First and foremost, they need to show respect in the ways they speak and behave. Survey after survey shows that one of the leading factors associated with poor job satisfaction and turnover is a lack of respect, or being treated as an adult.
Trust is Another Factor
“It is far better to be trusted than to be loved. Because without trust, there can be no love”. Employees want to feel that their managers have their back and can be trusted. Trust cannot exist at only administrative levels or workforce levels. It must exist between levels of staff, from the top, middle and bottom.
Get Employees Embedded
Embedded employees are more likely to stay, but who is encouraging employee embeddedness? The managers should be! Managers have more contact with their staff than do upper-level executives. They should work hand-in-hand with their staff. Employee embeddedness can be thought of as a collection of factors that lead the employee to feel that they belong right where they are, and managers can surely lead and support this process.
Listen and Respond
Employees will also stay in place if they have managers who take the time to listen to their thoughts and ideas as well as complaints. Then, it’s not enough just to listen, but respond appropriately to staff who want to be heard. Sometimes, the simple act of being heard is good enough. While managers can’t give their staff everything they want, they certainly can actively listen and affirm.
Opportunities to Shine and be Recognized
Good managers also know when to give certain employees opportunities to show off their talents and skills, and then show genuine appreciation to them. It can be very demeaning to show up, work hard, do a great job and nothing is recognized. Here is where a “thank you”, “good for you” can go a long way. Managers are in the unique position to encourage showcasing skill and giving some praise for it.
Manage Dissatisfaction and Negative Experiences
There is no such thing as the perfect workplace. Put a bunch of people into almost any situation and problems will arise. This is where managers can really be their best. When employees become dissatisfied, managers can take them to the side and ask about their issues. They can openly listen and then act in some way. Or, at least, they can genuinely show they care. The same goes for any bad situations that will inevitably occur in the workplace.
Final Thoughts on Hiring Good Managers
Good managers are worth their weight in gold and can be the gatekeepers of employee retention. But it’s going to take time, training and continual education on things that matter most to their staff. High turnover might be a reason to take a closer look at management. High retention should also, but in a much better light!