In this blog post, we discuss 5 ways to stop a valued employee from quitting.
If you want to stop your valued employee from quitting, you need to first understand why they want to leave. You should also identify the root cause of the problem and try to fix it. You can also motivate them by giving them the opportunity for growth and development in their career.
It is important that you do not underestimate the power of a good manager-employee relationship. A good relationship can go a long way in motivating employees and making sure they enjoy their work more than they would have if they were working alone.
Introduction: The Scary Reality of Employees Quitting
There are many reasons for a valuable employee to want to quit.
Very common reasons are:
- There are better opportunities elsewhere
- They are feeling under-appreciated
- The workplace culture is negative
- There is a lack of stability in their job
- The physical work environment was unsuitable
- They felt their skills were underutilised/ they didn't have the right skills for the role
- There was a lack of feedback
- The was no option for flexibility
- They felt unfairly treated- poor management
So with this in mind, let’s look at the things you can control to stop a valued employee from quitting.
5 ways to stop a valued employee from quitting
1. Improving your workplace culture
Workplace culture is important for any company. It is the environment that employees work in, and it can have a huge impact on organisational productivity. It also affects how much employees enjoy their jobs and how they feel about the company.
Some things you can do to improve your workplace culture are:
- Celebrating successes
- Creating a sense of belonging
- Encouraging feedback and open communication
- Sharing knowledge
Once you’ve established a holistic workplace culture that fits with the mission of your company, the next step is to hire employees that share your culture and vision.
Make sure you're hiring the right people
In any company, the people make a difference. It is important to hire the right people and train them properly so that they can do their job well.
To do this, it is important to have a clear understanding of what you are looking for in terms of skill set and personality. Most importantly, you need to be able to communicate your expectations clearly with your potential employees. Put details of your workplace culture on your company website, social media channels and even your job advert.
Your prospective candidate should share at least some of your values and beliefs such as work ethic or company culture.
Hiring mistakes can be costly. Not only do these mistakes lead to high turnover rates, but they also cost companies thousands of dollars in recruiting, training and lost productivity.
2. Recognise your employees' achievements
Recognising employees' achievements is important for the company because it gives them a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It also motivates them to work harder and be more productive.
Some ways to recognise an employee's achievements can be through a formal ceremony or an informal gesture.
A formal ceremony would be having an awards celebration where you give out awards or certificates to show appreciation for their hard work. This can be done as a company-wide awards ceremony that its made into a big evening event. Or some companies may prefer something quieter within the department. A great recognition reward some companies use gift cards to spend at certain stores, cash prizes or gifts.
An informal gesture could be as simple as a pat on the back, a thank you note, or even just saying “good job”.
Show appreciation
Employees work hard, so make sure to show them how much you appreciate their efforts and congratulate them when they give their best. Learn more about what motivates them personally, identify the company's 'purpose' in relation to that and offer opportunities that let them find joy in each day's activities.
Like recognition, when someone is seen for their hard work it goes a long way to how they feel. And it also encourages them to want a repeat of the appreciation.
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3. Take care of them physically & mentally
We need to take care of our employees.
A lot of the time, our team aren’t given enough time to take care of themselves physically and mentally.
It is important for them to have a balance between work and life. This will help them stay productive and focused on their work.
If they are not able to do this, they will suffer from burnout, which can lead to declining performance at work or even quitting altogether.
Stress is one of the most common factors that lead to health problems. With the advancement of technology, tasks have multiplied and increased in complexity. Employees work for long hours which is not only detrimental to health but also reduces productivity. Stress management can help employees cope with work stress and improve their overall well-being.
Talk it out
If you notice that the employee might be looking for new job opportunities, it might be a good idea to go ahead and ask him about his plans. You should also keep in mind that he may simply want to improve his skills or get more experience before moving on. If the employee is dealing with personal issues, they may not want to share every detail and will probably share information if it is asked for. This may make the difference between them leaving and staying
Put Career Goals in Reach
Many employees want to progress at their companies, but they also want to keep on learning and developing.
Crowe advocates for employees' career growth, as it ultimately prevents their departure. By helping them find sponsors, mentors and connections at your workplace, you can make sure they are progressing in the best way possible. As a way of fostering goodwill, it's important to sing employees' praises to other company leaders
4. Increase the Involvement of Management on the Ground Level
Increasing the involvement of management on the ground level is a very important aspect of any company. This is because it helps to increase communication with employees and to make sure that they are working at their best. There are many ways to do this, but one of the most common ways is by getting management involved in different tasks.
Some companies have found success in having managers work on the ground level by doing things such as working with customers or making deliveries. This has helped them because it has increased their understanding of what the company does and how it operates. It also helps them to know what needs improvement in order to make sure that they are providing a better service for their customers.
A great example of this is Toyota.
One of the key principles of the Toyota Production System is their "Genchi Genbutsu" which means "go and see" (at the) "real place". They advocate the management team to be down on the production level to truly see what's going on. This increases management intervention on actual issues. Instead of the abstract message of issues that get reported back to managers when they aren’t present.
Offer Support
Many employees might feel unsupported at work and find that their mental well-being becomes worse. They might take on extra tasks, not have the tools they need to be productive or think that management doesn't care about their welfare.
When you value employees, you value their time and energy, so you should ask them what assistance your business can offer in order to make their jobs easier. This may include encouraging brainstorming sessions or providing more encouragement than criticism. Many companies find success in scheduling 1:1 meetings with their employees. This allows open dialogue and encourages a discussion about any concerns from the employee.
5. Invest in employee retention
People management is a challenge for many managers. Especially when you have to keep your staff coming in day after day.
One way to make sure that they are engaged is by ensuring that their compensation package is competitive but also by giving them new opportunities for development and finding out what motivates them.
All CEOs and management can do are make the best conditions for talent and meet up with employees halfway to make sure they feel understood, seen, and connected.
If a star worker is thinking about quitting, your best bet is to do everything in your power to make them stay. As soon as you sense that someone might be leaving, act swiftly.
You want to surround yourself with team members who are ready to work hard and believe in your business so that the company and its employees may grow and thrive. You want people who will buy into the business, not just a job.
Retaining excellent workers speaks volumes about the type of company your business has—one that other talented employees will want to be part of.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our top 5 ways to stop a valued employee from quitting. By implementing most or all of these strategies you will see the retention and the overall happiness of your employees improve.
For more information on how to reduce employee retention take a look at our post on the “Importance of making employees feel valued”.