How to Encourage Committers Not Quitters

In years past, most people would enter the workforce, embark on a career, and stick with it for life. Staying at the same place of work until retirement wasn’t unusual.

Today, however, things have changed. No longer do employees feel the same sense of loyalty to companies –many are happy to switch jobs, or even careers –multiple times. In fact, the median tenure for workers age 25 to 34 is just 3.2 years.

For employers, the challenge is not only finding motivated employees, but also creating a workplace that encourages them to stay put. With 81% of employees saying they would consider leaving their current role, should the right offer arise, it’s important for employers to ensure that they’re doing everything they can to attract, and retain top talent.

Fortunately, when it comes to keeping your team engaged and motivated, there’s a lot that you can do as an employer. If you’re looking to improve workplace retention, here’s a look at a few steps that you’ll want to take.

Respect Your Employees

It’s no surprise that employees who don’t feel respected, are less likely to commit to their work. In fact, 65% of employees say that respectful treatment of all employees is a contributing factor to their satisfaction at work. Consider what your employees are saying, ask for their input, and show them that you value their contributions. By showing your team that you appreciate them, you’ll earn their respect. Similarly, ensure that a culture of respect is prevalent throughout all levels of management. Team leaders should be polite and professional. Even a simple ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ can go a long way.

Offer Growth Opportunities

A recent poll found that a whopping 72% of employees didn’t feel like their supervisor or management cared about their growth. When motivated employees aren’t able to advance in a company, they’ll soon get burnt out. If you want to keep your best employees, consider offering them opportunities to grow their skill set and advance in their careers. Consider offering reimbursement for tuition or paying for their training to obtain additional qualifications. Giving them opportunities to climb the ranks in your company, and ensuring that they’re paid competitively can also help to encourage your best team members to stay.

Keep Them Informed

Don’t treat your employees like mushrooms! Keeping them in the dark and neglecting to inform and update them is the fastest way to frustrate your team. Employees want to know what their job descriptions are and what’s expected of them. They also want to be kept informed and up-to-date on important developments in the company. Training your management to outline clear expectations, to provide performance reviews, and to solicit feedback from their team members can go a long way toward improving efficiency, performance, and satisfaction.

Promote Teamwork

Good relationships with co-workers are another important factor in an employee’s decision to stay. In fact, according to a survey by Ceridian, 49% of employees cited co-workers as a reason to stay over salary (48%), working conditions (46%) and job security (46%). It can also lead to a better workplace environment, and even improve productivity and engagement. Encourage your employees to work together by fostering a sense of teamwork. Don’t pit employees against each other by playing favorites or comparing them to each other. Finally, work to keep the workplace positive, and as free from gossip as you can. If you provide a positive environment for your employees, you’ll encourage them to stay longer.

Provide Challenging Work

Finally, keep in mind that people who are poorly matched with their roles will become frustrated quickly, and quit. It’s important to ensure that you hire people who are a perfect match for the tasks at hand. Work that’s too difficult or far too easy will leave your team looking for another job, so take care to match the right people, with roles that are just challenging enough to keep them engaged.

Creating a workplace that encourages positivity, productivity, and longer retention isn’t something that will happen overnight, but don’t let that hold you back. Even taking small steps in the right direction can make a big difference to your team, encouraging them to stay for longer.