Have you ever wondered why a qualified employee or employees would choose to leave his or her employer? The most likely answer to that question is that he or she has been treated poorly or has been taken for granted. No matter how good a person is at his or her job, that person is unlikely to stay with a company that offers poor pay, little chance for advancement or won’t treat workers with respect.
1. Workers Aren’t Allowed to Become Leaders
If you want to know how to retain good employees, you eventually have to let them become leaders or take on a supervisor role. As soon as you identify someone you want to retain for the long-term, make sure that he or she has an opportunity to become a leader within the organisation. It doesn’t mean that you have to offer a promotion right away, however, you should be looking for ways to put that person in a position of authority among his or her peers.
This will come in handy when stress in the workplace has gone up during the holiday season or during an uptick in sales and you need someone that can inspire everyone to stay the course until things calm down. It isn’t uncommon for those who are on the fence about whether or not to stay with a company to stick around because they enjoy who they work for or work with.
2. Stress Keeps Workers From Reaching Their Full Potential
In the event that work-related stress claims one of your employees or a person leaves for any reason, your reaction is critical. While you can’t keep someone around who doesn’t want to be there, you can try to reassure the employee that your company is still a great place to work. The first step in doing that is to sit down and have a talk with this worker.
This can give you valuable insight into how you can change the company culture to better suit employee needs. For instance, you may want to give workers a more flexible schedule or provide them with more input into their working conditions. Showing that you listen to and care about your people even if they leave can inspire a sense of loyalty in those who decide to stick around.
3. Qualified Workers Don’t Want to Endanger Their Health
Stress is dangerous to a worker’s health. It could lead to ulcers, dental issues and weight gain as workers may turn to food to deal with the stress. As a general rule, no one wants to work for a company that doesn’t have their physical, emotional and mental health in mind. If a worker develops a health condition because of the toll the job placed on his or her mind or body, you may be paying work-related stress compensation to that person.
4. They Weren’t Allowed to Leave Amicably
In the event that a worker signed a contract to provide services to an employee, that person may be legally bound to a company. However, it isn’t a good idea to force a worker to stay put if he or she doesn’t want to be there. In some cases, those who were previously allowed to leave on their own terms may eventually want to come back when circumstances make it a better fit for both sides.
If you force an employee to stay, it can seem petty, and qualified workers don’t have time for employers who don’t respect their need to work for companies that exude professionalism. It is possible that an employer doesn’t let a worker leave because he or she doesn’t know what to do when an employee leaves or what impact it may have on the company.
Even if that is the case, most workers will work in good faith to get out of a contract or go through some sort of formal process of leaving the company. It is rare that a quality worker who has the right credentials is going to suddenly quit without allowing an employer to come up with a transition or succession plan.
5. The Company Doesn’t Have a Bright Future
Qualified workers want to know that their efforts aren’t being wasted. If they don’t think that your company is going to be around in a year, five years or a decade from now, they won’t want to stay. Therefore, it is on ownership and management to convince important workers to stay put and that they will have a job both now and in the future.
Employers demand the most out of their workers each day. Employees only ask that they are treated fairly and that their hard work will not go unnoticed. By treating your people right and giving them the opportunity to create a fulfilling career, you can retain your best workers and lay the foundation for a successful business.
