I Quit

We know most employees will eventually leave us, but what can we do to make them want to stay a little longer?

Have you received your Summer 2021 magazine from SHRM yet? I can’t read it fast enough! It has so many great articles, especially the cover story, The Turnover Tsunami. Experts are predicting many employers will lose great employees. You can be prepared for this and make decisions now that encourage employees to stay with you. Remember that you’re spending time and money to hire and train their replacement every time an employee leaves. We want to be as proactive as possible to minimize the amount of damage that happens every time an employee resigns.

SHRM shared the following statistics (Source: Engagement and Retention Report, Achievers Workforce Institute, February 2021):

36% of employees want to find another job to earn more money and have better benefits.
49% of employees want to find another job because they need a better work/life balance, want more recognition for their work, or hope to find a better culture.

The second statistic is great news because employers can immediately improve these areas! What kind of work/life balance are your employees looking for? Do you offer enough paid time off? Flexible schedules? Can you change shifts depending on the season? How do you give credit to your employees? Do you send celebratory emails or post announcements? Do you meet with them individually and share positive feedback from customers and organizational leaders? What is energy like in the workplace? What is the leadership style? Is it one where employees can thrive and grow? Do you communicate often and listen even more? Is the environment clean and safe?

Talk with your employees and find out why they like working for you. You may also discover some areas that need improvement. Once employees realize that you want to help, they feel appreciated and often offer suggestions. Now is your chance to communicate before receiving a two-week notice and schedule an employee for an exit interview!

Categories: : Retention