When managers experience heavy turnover, they find a million different places to lay blame, but rarely do they ask what they could have been doing differently. If you are losing employees and you can’t seem to figure out why, you might be doing any – or all – of these nine things:
1. Overworking them
Overworking your team is never a good idea. Research shows that 50 hours a week is optimal for productivity, and anything above that actually decreases productivity. It also builds resentment and negativity and is one of the fastest ways to alienate talented employees.
2. You aren’t recognizing their achievements
Never underestimate the power of simple recognition. You don’t have to throw a ticker tape parade for your employees, but if someone goes the extra mile or navigates a particularly large hurdle with success, give that person a pat on the back, preferably in a public manner.
3. You aren’t developing them
Talented people always want to grow and learn more. Always take the time to help your employees strive to learn new things, build new skills and accept new challenges. This will keep them actively engaged in their work.
4. You aren’t challenging them
A bored employee is an employee who is looking for another job. If you aren’t finding new ways to challenge your team to solve problems in new ways or use new skills, they will abandon you for an employer who does.
5. You don’t let them use their talents
Each person has a specific job to do, but allowing your team to branch out and tackle new projects or initiate new tasks that really tap into their passions and talents will re-ignite their enthusiasm for their work.
6. You’re messing up hiring and promoting
Bad hires and poor promotions destroy morale. Talented individuals want to work with people like them, and if the constantly see management hiring and promoting duds, they will look for greener pastures.
7. You aren’t honoring your commitments
Don’t make promises just to offer lip service to your employees. If you tell them you will do something, follow through. Remember, people don’t leave jobs – they leave managers.
8. You don’t care about them
How much do you know about your employees as individuals? Do you know what their interests are? Do you know anything about their families? Failing to show an interest in people is the most obvious way to say, “I don’t care about you.”
9. You aren’t engaging their creativity
Do you know the best source of ideas for improving processes and creating better products? Your team. If you aren’t giving them the opportunity to give their input or use outside-the-box methods of solving problems, you are stifling their creativity. When talented employees aren’t given the freedom to think and act creatively, they won’t stay with you very long.
While all of the above can definitely factor into why you may struggle to retain employees, it’s important to remember that the overall work environment needs to be objectively assessed every few months. You can’t always count on your employees to tell you what’s working and what’s not. Even the biggest and most innovative companies with seemingly awesome perks like lounge areas, games, or cereal bars can experience bouts of losing employees.
Cutting Edge Recruiting Solutions (CERS) is a nationally-recognized staffing and recruiting firm located in Boca Raton, Florida that specializes in placing skilled IT professionals with some of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in South Florida.
