Turn on the evening news, read the latest AP wire, or open your Apple News notification and you’re likely to come across someone talking about The Great Resignation. Most likely, as a leader, you’ve had it happen to you and are desperately trying to fill empty seats while struggling to serve your clients with a reduced staff. Finding talent is a challenge; keeping them doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips to be sure that, once you fill those seats, you bring out the best in your employees and prevent them from walking out the door.
- Get to know your people. Make the time to get to know your individual employees. Take a sincere interest in getting to know them personally – their interests, hobbies, and about their loved ones. This goes a long way in showing you care and that you’re invested in them as a person. Then help your team get to know each other. When you’re hiring, a great way to do this is to benchmark your team to better understand the unique profiles of your existing staff. You’ll be able to see which candidates will blend nicely and align your team culture. When you introduce new players to the team, take time for everyone to get to know each other by sharing their profiles. It helps speed up the onboarding process and boosts team productivity. Imagine how much faster a team can become productive by knowing how their peers prefer to communicate, solve problems, and make decisions.
- Create an environment of open communication. Regular communication is an essential part of management. This is not just about you communicating with them; you’ve got to get your employees to communicate with you. Ask people about their day and workload, and solicit their opinions and ideas for streamlining operations. Frequently ask what’s getting in the way and involve them in the solution. Commit time each week to having regular team meetings where colleagues share with one another, and you listen. Schedule regular 1×1’s that are a two-way dialogue where each employee shares updates on their progress toward goals and their developmental needs.
- Show Respect. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. If you want your team to be professional, don’t treat them like children or talk down to them. Respect their efforts and be tactful and diplomatic when pointing out areas that need improvement. Give your people latitude to make decisions. Empowerment, the business buzzword of the 90’s, is an idea that should never lose its flavor. Your people want to know you believe in them and have confidence in their ability to succeed.
- Foster a spirit of continuous learning. Every member of your team has unique qualities and skills that can help make the team more productive and efficient. The best leaders find ways to foster continual learning and involve their employees in sharing their expertise. The business world is filled with so much pressure, and if you’ve hired a team of A Players, they all came with their own self-induced performance pressure pushing them to achieve. That’s great, but it can also create an environment where people don’t feel safe showing vulnerability or asking for help. Create a culture where trial and error are not only OK but appreciated, and create space where your employees can share their insights and help each other grow.
- Provide ongoing recognition. Being recognized and appreciated is a fundamental human need. You don’t have to implement a costly employee recognition program to have an impact. It does help to know the individual (back to getting to know your people) and to understand that people like to be recognized in different ways. A behavioral assessment is an ideal way to uncover these unique preferences. Provide ongoing recognition for achievements, reaching key milestones, helping others on the team, and personal life events and work anniversaries. A personal handwritten note or a shout out at a company meeting (depending on the preference of the individual) goes a long way. And we all are likely to appreciate that occasional free lunch, Starbucks card, or UberEATS gift certificate. No matter what form the recognition takes, everyone enjoys having their efforts and achievements celebrated.
In the years ahead, there will be plenty of analysis and reporting on these times and what caused The Great Resignation. For now, studies are already pointing to how people gained clearer insight during the pandemic of what type of work environment they prefer and switched jobs if their current position didn’t support their well-being. Studies also show that fewer people are willing to work for a company that does not align with their values. Getting to know your people and investing in a supportive culture where unique qualities are valued goes a long way in helping retain and get the most out of your team. Begin by showing every member of your team that you care.
