Employee Retention Tips

Great employees are a vital spark of any business. Losing employees, especially the great ones, is a concern for businesses, whether big or small, because it costs them not only money, but productivity and time. For small businesses, keeping the “great” (a.k.a. the hard-working and productive ones) employees is crucial. Here are a few tips on how you, as an employer, can retain those great employees.

Hire Well

It seems obvious, but employee retention begins with hiring. The consequences of a bad hire have a negative ripple effect across your office, and in some cases, cause your “great” employees to leave. One bad apple can spoil your bushel!   Try adding one or all of these ideas to your next interview:

• Get at least one personal reference in addition to professional ones, this allows you to ask different kinds of questions which helps reveal their character.
• Trust your Gut! The stomach is often called the “second brain” because it has almost as many neurons as your brain does. If you have an uncomfortable feeling, there is probably a good reason for it.
• Be specific with the job description. Make sure you are clear about each aspect of the job and look for someone who has successful experiences with all of those aspects. A bad hire is someone who is great at one aspect of the job you need done, but awful at the others.

Be Competitive and Creative

As small business owner, paying a higher salary to employees may prove difficult, but by staying competitive and creative, you can put together a compensation package that is enticing without breaking the bank. Offer bonuses for a job well done. In addition to bonuses, offer extra vacation days, flexibility with work schedules, work-from-home days (if the position allows), added time to a lunch break one day a week, etc.

Acknowledge Achievements

We all know that employees need feedback to improve and be at their best, both positive and constructive. Provide positive feedback on a regular basis to motivate your employees and let them know their hard work is noticed and appreciated. A simple “awesome job with our patients today” can make a difference.   This goes double if you have Millennials working for you, they feed off acknowledgement. Constructive and/or corrective feedback is also important, especially if there’s an urgent issue or behavior that needs to be addressed.

Listen to your Employees

Its common knowledge for employers to give feedback to their employees, but you must also accept feedback from them. Ask your employees regularly what they need and want from their job and the company. Provide opportunities for both public and private feedback and attempt to create a culture where your employees feel comfortable expressing or offering their thoughts, opinions and ideas.

Encourage a Healthy Work-Life Balance

All businesses have high expectations from their employees. In today’s busy and on-the-go world, the scale often tips to more emphasis being placed on work duties than on home life. Promote an environment that believes home responsibilities are just as important as work ones, this helps reduce stress and pressure within you employees. Staff members that are well-rested and have adequate time to care for themselves and their families, perform better at work.

– Jennifer Johnson