You have a really amazing team. These people give 100 percent effort every single day, are willing to pitch in anywhere they’re needed and always find a great solution for even the most complex problems. Now you need to do everything in your power to keep them happy so they’ll stay with your company for years to come. Retaining top talent – those employees who are the strongest performers, serve in critical positions, and/or demonstrate high potential – is vital in this competitive marketplace.
5 Strategies for Retaining Top Talent
Make Learning a Priority
Your best employees are truly passionate about their work and want to thrive. Unlike many workers, these people are thirsty for knowledge, so keep them engaged by sending them to conferences and seminars as often as possible to keep up with the latest industry developments. If possible, offer a tuition reimbursement program, so people can head back to school without having to foot the entire bill.
Related: How to Retain Information Technology Staff Members
Don’t Micromanage
Certain employees may require hand-holding, but this clearly doesn’t apply to your superstars. If you stand over their shoulders and dictate every move they make, they’ll be gone in no time. Instead, give them the freedom to take the lead and make their own decisions. You hired great people to work at your company, so give them space to do their jobs. Loosen the reigns a bit and when mistakes happen, turn them into a learning experience.
Acknowledge Their Efforts
The work completed by your leading employees is the driving force behind the success of your organization, so you need to show some appreciation. When a person exceeds your expectations, let them know their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. This can be accomplished in many ways, such as recognizing them in a staff meeting, sending an email out to the team or simply stopping by their desk to say thanks. When people feel invisible, they become resentful and eventually move on to a company that doesn’t take them for granted.
Promote From Within
Some people are perfectly content to stay in the same job for years, but top talent doesn’t follow that career plan. If you want to keep these people on your team, give them room to grow. When possible, fill higher-level positions by promoting outstanding internal candidates. Create new roles as needed and be open to evolving existing ones to keep people challenged and engaged, so they’re not forced to head elsewhere to advance.
Open the Lines of Communication
Create an open dialogue with your staff, so they feel comfortable coming to you with questions, comments and concerns. Meet with employees regularly to give feedback, listen to their ideas and help them solve any work-related issues they’re facing. When something big happens at the company, gather them together and share the news first, as leaving people in the dark never ends well. When you respect your team, they return the sentiment and enjoy much higher levels of job satisfaction.
Related: Nurturing and Retaining Top Performers That are Unsatisfied
Need a little help finding the best person for the job? Partner with Sparks Group. As the Washington DC Area's leading temporary staffing agency we regularly connect great companies with great administrative, professional, technical, and creative talent.
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