Top Ten Employee Retention Tips

The biggest challenge for an organization is keeping its top talent. Times are changing and so are the attitudes of today’s worker.

Here are the top 10 employee retention strategies:

1  Leadership skill development from the top down. People don’t leave their jobs. They leave their leaders, which is why ongoing leadership skill development is crucial.

2   Shift motivation rewards to match the task. Algorithmic tasks require direct motivation (e.g., pack 12 widgets in 12 seconds and win a prize); however, creative tasks do not.

3   Provide more creative and challenging work. Use technol­ogy to take over repetitive tasks and maximize human ability to be creative.

4  Allow flex time, sabbaticals and extended time off. Employees value employers who provide them with time to de-stress.

5. Invest in training and growth for all employees by provid­ing a mix of on-site and online learning.

6. Recognize employee performance goals rather than tenure.

7. Provide a career path. Even if you are a flat organization, show other opportunities within the industry.

8. Offer full-time employees contract projects as standalone jobs or as add-on options. Workers want greater flexibility and interesting work.

9. Provide real-time performance evaluations so employees don’t have to wait until annual reviews for feedback.

10. Have fun! Mixing business with pleasure and having fun socially is an important part of employees feeling good about where they work and the people they work with. Challenges and other games are a great way to engage team members and have fun together.