At a time when many companies are vying with each other to hang onto their best employees and treating them like royalty, others simply watch them leave and are constantly training new staff. Everyone seems to be at one extreme or the other. So what is the solution? For starters, you have to be aware of the problem.
Here are ten reasons why your best employees may well be on the verge of jumping ship.
Bad Management
You’ve heard the saying “Employees don’t leave companies; they leave their managers.” If you want to hang onto your best employees, you have got to have the best supervisors on your team.
Promotions Handed to the Wrong Employees
When a promotion goes to the wrong person, it does double damage. Not only will the new supervisor be continually perceived as a nuisance, but those who felt they deserved the promotion in question may be tempted to see if they can find advancement elsewhere.
Lack of Motivation
Remember how motivated your best employees were when they first started working for you? Do they still have that fire in the belly? To avoid unpleasant surprises, now is probably be the time to have a good conversation with them.
Difficulty Balancing Work and Family
Another factor that changes over time is the status of the employees themselves. If most of them were young and single when they were hired, maybe they have started families since. If that is the case, they have different needs that you need to take into consideration.
Underpaid Workers
There is nothing like freezing your employees’ salaries to make them want to find out if conditions are more favourable working for your competitors.
Lack of Appreciation
Wages aren’t the only thing that counts. For some employees, being recognized for their good work is just as important; taking them for granted can prove to be the worst mistake you could make.
Overworked Employees
When you drive them too hard, you will soon find yourself faced with two problems: the best workers will leave and those who stay will have to invest part of their time in training new recruits. The resulting loss in productivity is huge.
Piling on the Paperwork
Want to stifle your best employees’ creativity? Bury them in endless procedures and you will see them rushing out the door.
Bad Work Environment
Never underestimate the negative power of employee conflicts. If a problem comes up, nip it in the bud rather than letting the situation get out of hand. Ongoing tension can result in employees coming to work reluctantly at first… and then not at all.
Dead End Jobs
According to Forbes Magazine, opportunities for advancement are top priority for recent graduates. Sure, not all employees dream of getting that promotion, but those who do want to reach for it need to understand what is required to climb the corporate ladder.
