• What does it take to retain people in an organization?
• What do you do to try to retain the best people?
• What are your processes for getting the best and the brightest?
• Who in the organization is primarily responsible for retaining employees?
• What are the important elements of retention?
• What are your concerns about retention in your organization?

Organizations are constantly struggling with attracting and maintaining the best employees, while trying to keep costs at a minimum. Not putting enough effort into retaining employees is a mistake that is made over and over again because the impact of turnover is not always directly evident. Organizations have seen that a poor economy does not mean quality people automatically come flooding their direction. Although most managers and leaders are aware that there are consequences of high turnover, many have not taken the time to view them all at once.

These include:

• High financial cost
• Survival mentality
• Loss of productive time and quality of work
• Poor customer service and organizational image
• Heightened administrative time
• Infected culture

The impact of turnover on an individual is also important to note, particularly if it is a problem that could have been avoided. Through turnover, individuals experience:

• Loss of status and benefits
• Disrupted finances
• Wasted efforts
• Burned bridges
• Career gaps

At some point, myths in an organization will surface. Many people will believe theses myths are true. These myths can have detrimental effects. Ask these questions to help your organization tackle the serious problem of employee retention:

• Are your employees recognized for their accomplishments?
• Are they encouraged to set career goals?
• Are they placed in projects or assignments that match their goals and help them grow in their career?
• Are they challenged?
• Is the training they want available to them?
• Does their manager give them regular, honest performance reviews?
• Do they feel supported and well balanced?
• What do they struggle with?
• What would make their work easier?

Summary

Managing people can be one of the hardest jobs in the world. Trying to meet the needs of and make a group of people feel comfortable and at ease, all while maintaining a productive environment, may seem impossible. But it’s not! Taking retention seriously can, in the end, be the best management strategy that you have ever tackled.

By Shirley J. Caruso, M.A., Human Resource Development