Talented workers are vital to your company’s success. They ensure your customers are happy, your profits keep growing and your company culture remains strong. When they leave, it’s difficult and expensive to find, hire and train a replacement. In some cases, it’s all but impossible.
There are many reasons why good employees move on, and you can’t prevent all of them. But the good news is you can avoid most of the turnover in your business. If your people aren’t happy, they are more vulnerable to being persuaded to switch sides by your competition.
Here are a few suggestions to help you retain your top talent. It may not be an exhaustive list, but it’s a good start.
Give Them the Proper Training
Give your new employees what they need to be more creative and productive. Provide a thorough explanation of the job to help them feel more in control and less frustrated in the beginning. Trained workers need less supervision and are more motivated because they have a better understanding of the business. And these highly trained workers are typically satisfied with their jobs, tend to have better attitudes and stay around for the long haul.
Get to Know Your Workers
When you get to know your workers by name, you’re showing them the respect they deserve. Walk the shop floor regularly, listen to them and act on the ideas they share with you. When you give them feedback and acknowledge their hard work, it shows you value them. Share with them your plans for the company, and let them know how they fit into those plans. People want to know their work makes a difference.
Make Sure Supervisors on the Shop Floor Are Treating Workers With Respect
Learn how your employees are being treated on the line level. Bad managers can lead to a high turnover rate. Communicate to your supervisors your philosophy on retaining your workers and provide them with training, if necessary. Also, make sure you are treating your floor leaders with respect and giving them the proper support.
Keep Your Door Open
Your employees want to do their work correctly and to your specifications. That’s why you need to be available for questions, concerns and ideas. Your most experienced people understand their jobs better than anyone else. Make them available to assist newer workers who have questions. A culture that invites questions fosters greater understanding and leads to higher satisfaction and better retention.
Pay Them Well and Add a Few Inexpensive Perks
Offering perks can be an economical way to compete. You could start by rewarding or honoring those workers who had a noteworthy achievement, or you could give all your employees an early dismissal when the whole team completes a project ahead of time or under budget. You might even want to schedule a team lunch when that important customer gives you two thumbs up for quality work.
Whether you choose one of these or come up with your own creative idea, perks can go a long way toward helping you retain your best workers. Contact Select Staff today to learn more.
