Employee Retention Strategies

For an organization to do well and earn profits it is essential that the high potential employees stick to it for a longer duration and contribute effectively. The employees who spend a considerable amount of time tend to be loyal and committed towards the management and always decide in favour of the organization. When you meet someone, there is hardly any attachment in the beginning, but as the friendship matures, a sense of loyalty and trust develops. In the same way, when an individual spends a good amount of time in an organization, he gets emotionally bonded to it and strives hard for furthering the brand image of the organization. The management cant completely put a full stop to the process of employees quitting their jobs but can control it to a large extent. Let us go through some strategies to retain an individual:

An employee looks for a change when his job becomes monotonous and does not offer anything new. It is essential for everyone to enjoy whatever he does. The responsibilities must be delegated according to the individuals specialization and interests. It is the responsibility of the team leader to assign challenging work to his team members for them to enjoy work and do not treat it as a burden. Performance reviews are important to find out whether the employees are really happy with their work or not. Constant disputes among employees encourage them to go for a change. Conflicts must be avoided to maintain the decorum of the place and avoid spreading negativity around. Promote activities which bring the employees closer. Organize outdoor picnics, informal get together for the employees to know each other better and strengthen the bond among themselves. Let them make friends at the workplace whom they can really trust. Friendship among employees is one strong factor which helps to retain employees. Individuals who have reliable friends at the workplace are reluctant to move on for the sake of friendship. No one likes to leave an organization where he gets mental peace. It is essential to have a cordial environment at the workplace. The human resource department must ensure that it is hiring the right candidate. Frustration crops up whenever there is a mismatch. A finance professional if is hired for a marketing profile would definitely end up being frustrated and look for a change. The right candidate must be hired for the right profile. While recruiting a new candidate, one should also check his track record. An individual who has changed his previous jobs frequently would also not stick to the present one and thus should not be hired. Employee recognition is one of the most important factors which go a long way in retaining employees. Nothing works better than appreciating the employees. Their hard work must be acknowledged. Monetary benefits such as incentives, perks, cash prize also motivate the employees to a large extent and they prefer sticking to the organization. The performers must have an upper edge and should get a special treatment from the management. Performance appraisals are also important for an employee to stay motivated and avoid looking for a change. The salary hike should be directly proportional to the hard

work put by the employees. Partiality must be avoided as it demotivates the talented ones and prompt them to look for a better opportunity. The salary of the employees must be discussed at the time of the interview . The components of the salary must be transparent and thoroughly discussed with the individuals at the time of joining to avoid confusions later. The individuals should be made to join only when the salary as well as other terms and conditions are acceptable to them. The companys rules and regulations should be made to benefit the employees. They should be employee friendly. Allow them to take a leave on their birthdays or come a little late once or twice in a month. It is important for the management to understand the employees to gain their trust and confidence. The consistent performers must also have a say in the companys decisions for them to feel important.

Employee retention involves various steps taken to retain an employee who wishes to move on. An employee must find his job challenging and as per his interest to excel at work and stay with the organization for a longer period of time. The management plays an important role in retaining the talented employees who are familiar with the working conditions of the organization and thus perform better than the employees who just come and go. Motivation plays an important role in employee satisfaction and eventually employee retention. Nothing works better than motivation. Motivation acts as a catalyst to an individuals success. The team leaders and the managers must constantly motivate the employees to extract the best out of them. If an employee has performed exceptionally well, do appreciate him. Simple words like Well done,Bravo,Good,Keep it up actually go a long way in motivating the employees. The top performers must be in the limelight. The employees must feel indispensable for the organization. It is essential for the employees to be loyal towards their organization to deliver their level best.

Does anyone spoil his personal belongings? No. The reason being we are concerned about our own stuff. In the same way a sense of belonging at workplace is important for better output. Ownership of work only comes through motivation. Ask the team members to buck up so that they perform well every time and meet the expectations of the management. The superiors should send motivational emails to their team once in a week. Display inspirational posters, photographs on the notice board for the employees to read and stay motivated. It is natural for an individual to feel low sometimes, but the superiors must ensure to boost their morale and bring them back on track. No individual should be neglected or criticized. This demotivates them. If they fail to perform once, motivate them and give them another opportunity. Organize various activities and events at the workplace. Ask each one to take charge of something or the other. Engage the employees in productive tasks necessary for their overall development. The management must show its care and concern for all the staff members. The employees must feel secure at the workplace for them to stay motivated.

Whenever any company policy is to be formulated, the opinion of each and every employee should be taken into consideration. Invite all of them on a common platform and ask for their suggestions as well. Freedom of expression is must. Every employee must have a say in the organizations guidelines as they are made only to benefit them. Incentives, perks, cash prizes are a good way to motivate the employees. The employees who have performed well consistently should be felicitated in front of all the staff members as well as the management. Give them trophies or badges to flaunt. Ask the audience to give a loud applause to the employees who have performed well. This is a good way to motivate the employees for them to remain happy and work with dedication for a longer duration. Others who have not performed up to the mark also gear up for future. The names of the top performers must be put on the companys main notice board or bulletin board for everyone to see. Appraisals are also an important way to motivate the employees. The salaries of the performers must be appraised at regular intervals- an effective way to retain the employees. Career growth is an important way to retain the talented employees. Give them power to take some decisions on their own but the management must have a close watch on them so that they do not misuse their power. Without motivation, it is not fair to expect the best out of the employees. No individual likes to leave an organization where he is being treated well.

An organization cant survive if the top performers quit. It needs employees who are loyal and work hard with full dedication to achieve the organizations objective. It is essential for the management to retain its valuable employees who think in favour of the organization and contribute their level best. An employee who spends a longer duration at any particular organization is familiar with the rules, guidelines and policies of the organization and thus can adjust better. The Human Resource team plays an important role in employee retention. Let us find out their role in the same:

Whenever an employee resigns from his current assignments, it is the responsibility of the HR to intervene immediately to find out the reasons which prompted the employee to resign. No one leaves an organization without a reason. There has to be one and the human resource team must probe into it. There can be innumerable reasons for an employee to leave his current job. The major ones being conflict with the superiors, lesser salary, lack of growth, negative ambience and so on. It is the duty of the HR to sit with the employee and discuss the various issues face to face. Understand his problems and listen to his side of the story as well. Remember the HR should not focus on conducting exit interviews, rather more emphasis should be laid on retaining the employees. Try to provide a solution to his problem. Hiring is a tedious process and it is really very difficult to recruit the right candidate and train him once again. Do check the track record of the employee who wishes to move on. It is really essential for the management to retain those employees who have the potential and are really indispensable for the organization. If they leave and join the competitors; the organization would be at loss. If

one feels that the employee is not very happy with his team leader, try to shift him to a new team. If the employee feels his salary is not justified, try to give him a hike but make sure he is worth it and you dont end up upsetting others. The HR person must ensure that he is recruiting the right employee who actually fits into the role. A right person doing the wrong job would never find his job interesting and certainly look for a change. Make sure every individual has been assigned responsibilities according to his specialization and interest. The employees must be clear with their KRAs from the very beginning. Every individual works for money and the HR must quote a justified salary acceptable to the other person. Dont compel anyone to join at a lesser salary. He might join at that moment but would most likely quit after sometime. The hike should be on the present salary and must match the market trends and the expectations of the individual. The human resource department must conduct motivational activities at the workplace. Organize various internal as well as external trainings which help the employees to learn something extra apart from their routine work. Make them participate in extracurricular activities important for their overall development. Encourage them to interact with each other so that the comfort level increases. The HR must launch various incentive schemes for the top performers to motivate them. This way the employees feel important for the organization and strive hard to perform even better the next time. The employees who show promise should be awarded with cash prizes, lucrative perks and certificates to make the individual stand apart from the crowd. Send a mail wishing the employees on their birthdays or congratulating them when they perform exceptionally well or come out with something innovative. Arrange a small bouquet for them as a gift from the organizations side. This way the employees feel attached to the organization and are reluctant to look for a change. A friendly atmosphere is essential for the employees to feel safe and secure. Make them participate in various management decision making. Performance reviews are a must. The HR along with the respective team leaders must monitor their team members performance to ensure whether they are enjoying the work or not. The employees look for a change only when their job becomes monotonous and does not offer any growth or learning. Job rotation can be one of the effective ways to retain employees.

The HR professional must try his level best to motivate the employees, make them feel special in the organization so that they do not look for a change.

Role of Team Leaders and Supervisors in Employee Retention

Employee retention includes various steps taken to satisfy the employees so that they stay with the organization for a longer duration. Strong measures must be taken to retain the high potential employees who have spent a good amount of time in the organization and know it in and out. It is essential to retain the talented employees who are loyal towards the organization and can

contribute effectively. The team leaders and the supervisors play an important role in employee retention: An employee quits his job whenever he faces problems at the workplace and is not satisfied with his work. The job must be challenging enough and the employees should learn something new every day for them to stick to it for a long time. It is the responsibility of the team leader to ensure that the team members are contented with their work and share a good rapport amongst themselves. The team members must be assigned responsibilities as per their specialization, qualification, interests as well as experience. The team members must find their job interesting for them to enjoy and work hard to achieve the organization goals. The KRAs must be formulated in the presence of the employees. Let them decide what best they can perform. Problems crop up whenever there is a mismatch or the employees have to do something out of compulsion. Dont compel anyone to do something. Let them accept the responsibilities willingly. An individual with an analytical bent of mind would not do very well in a marketing or branding profile. A wrong profile is one of the several reasons as to why an employee looks for a change. An over burdened worker never finds his job interesting and would always be eager for a change. It is the duty of the team leader to distribute the work equally among all the employees. The manager should not be partial to anyone and treat all his members as one. He should not let negativity creep in the team. The superiors must have a control on their subordinates and make sure they do not fight with each other. Nothing productive comes out of disputes, rather it demotivates the individuals and prompt them to look for some another opportunity. Rules and regulations should be same for everyone. Avoid granting special favours to anyone. One should never fear his boss. Hitler approach does not work in the current scenario. A team leader should be a role model for his team. The team managers should not be arrogant and avoid misuse of their position. He should let all the team members participate in the decision making process. Every employee should have the freedom of expression and no one should be left out or neglected. The team leader should trust and respect his team members to expect the same from them. The team leader should be accessible to his team members. Employees feel demotivated when their queries remain unsolved and there is no body to listen to them. When the team leader doesnt have time for his team, the employees crib among themselves and wish to move on. The team leader must make sure to be with his team whenever required. He should support his team members always. Listen to their problems and try to provide a solution. Make them feel that you are there for them. A little care is essential to make them feel safe and secure. If you find any of the team members worried, intervene immediately. Minor problems left unattended can lead to severe stress later, forcing employees to look for a change.

The superiors must maintain transparency in communication. Every team member should get the same information from their boss for them to remain satisfied and loyal towards the organization. The team leader must appreciate those who perform well. Give them a pat on their back. The hard work of the team members should never go unnoticed. The top performers must be given a special treatment to motivate them further and expect the same from them every time. The employees who have not performed well should also be asked to buck up for the next time. It is the responsibility of the team leader to bind his team together. Take your team out for lunch once in a while for them to come closer to each other. Every individual expects peace at the workplace and looks for a change only when there is unnecessary stress at work. The team leader must promote healthy competition at the workplace. A team leader should mentor his team well. Employees are reluctant to go for a change when they have a good boss.

Employee Engagement and Employee Retention

Individuals coming together on a common platform to achieve the goals of the organization as well as to earn a living for themselves are called as employees. The smooth functioning of an organization depends on its employees and their seriousness towards work.
What is employee engagement?

Employee engagement refers to a situation where all the employees are engaged in their own work and take keen interest in the organizations activities. An engaged employee is one who is focussed, enjoys his work and learns something new each day. An engaged employee is satisfied with his work and would never think of quitting his job. He is the one who willingly accepts responsibilities and looks forward towards a long term association with the organization. Lack of challenging work is one of the major reasons as to why an employee decides to move on. An individual should be delegated responsibilities as per his specialization and background for him to perform up to the mark. An employee delivers his hundred percent when he does something which interests him. Problems crop up when individuals have nothing creative and challenging to do. An employee must foresee a bright future and better growth prospects in the organization for him to stick to it for a longer duration. An engaged employee always stays motivated in his current assignments and does not look for opportunities outside. Why does an individual always look for challenges outside, why cant he improve the conditions in his own organization? Monotonous work demotivates an individual and prompts him to look for a change.

As they say an empty mind is a devils workshop. In the same way, idle employees are the ones who loiter around and spread negativity all over the place. They are the ones who provoke others to fight amongst themselves. Individuals who have nothing to do at workplace kill their time by gossiping around and badmouthing their organization. They always talk negative about the management and encourage others to move on. The team leaders and the management must take the initiative to assign challenging work to the subordinates so that they do not treat their work as a burden. An employee must be asked to do something innovative everytime.An individual engaged in his work strives hard to deliver his level best and live up to the expectations of the management everytime. He looks forward towards achieving his organizations targets and thus making it one of the best places to work. An employee who is busy with his work stays away from nasty politics, backstabbing and thus maintain the decorum of the office. He prioritizes his work and does not really get time for controversies. Individuals are reluctant to leave when they enjoy a cordial relation with their colleagues. Everyone expects a stress free environment at workplace and tends to leave only when there are constant disputes. No one likes to carry tensions back home. An engaged employee does not get time to participate in unproductive tasks instead finishes his assignments on time and benefits the organization. The team leaders must monitor the performance of the team members to ensure whether they are satisfied with their profile or not? Performance reviews are a must to make sure every one finds his job interesting. Discussions are essential at the workplace and everyone should have the liberty to express his opinions on an open forum. Dont impose things on anyone. Let people decide themselves what best they can do. This way employees are satisfied with their work and never look for a change. One should always remember that offices are meant to work and not for fun. For an individual, his work should come first and everything else later. The employees who do not take ownership of their work blame others and the organization for the poor show. Cowards leave the organization at its bad times, the one who really has the potential to make it big stick to it and make things happen there only.

Challenges in Employee Retention

In the current scenario, a major challenge for an organization is to retain its valuable and talented employees. The management can control the problem of employees quitting the organization within no time to a great extent but cant put a complete full stop to it. There are several challenges to it. Let us understand the challenges to employee retention:

Monetary dissatisfaction is one of the major reasons for an employee to look for a change. Every organization has a salary budget for every employee which can be raised to some extent but not beyond a certain limit. Retention becomes a problem when an employee quotes an exceptionally high figure beyond the budget of the organization and is just not willing to compromise. The organization needs to take care of the interests of the other employees as well and cant afford to make them angry. The salaries of the individuals working at the same level should be more or less similar to avoid major disputes amongst employees. A high potential employee is always the center of attention at every workplace but one should not take any undue advantage. One should understand the limitation of the management and quote something which matches the budget of the organization. An individual should not be adamant on a particular figure, otherwise it becomes difficult for the organization to retain him. Remember there is a room for negotiation everywhere. In the current scenario, where there is no dearth of opportunities, stopping people to look for a change is a big challenge. Every organization tries its level best to hire employees from the competitors and thus provide lucrative opportunities to attract them. Employees become greedy for money and position and thus look forward to changing the present job and join the competitors. No amount of counseling helps in such cases and retaining employees becomes a nightmare. Individuals speak all kind of lies during interviews to get a job. They might not be proficient in branding but would simply say a yes to impress the recruiter and grab the job. It is only later do people realize that there has been a mismatch and thus look for a change. Problems arise whenever a right person is into a wrong profile. An individual loses interest in work whenever he does something out of compulsion. The human resource department should be very careful while recruiting new employees. It is really important to get the reference check done for better reliability and avoid confusions later. Some individuals have a tendency to get bored in a short span of time. They might find a job really interesting in the beginning but soon find it monotonous and look for a change. The management finds it difficult to convince the employees in such cases. Individuals must also understand that every organization has some or the other problem and adjustment is required everywhere, so why not in the present organization? It becomes really difficult for the HR Department to find out what exactly is going on in the minds of the individual. An individual should voice his opinions clearly to make things easier for the management. Unrealistic expectations from the job also lead to employees looking for a change. There is actually no solution to unrealistic expectations. An individual must be mature enough to understand that one cant get all the comforts at the workplace just like his home. Individuals from different backgrounds come together in an organization and minor misunderstandings might arise but one should not make an issue out of it. An individual must not look for a change due to small issues. One needs time to make his presence feel at the organization and must try his level best to stick to it for a good amount of time and ignore petty issues.

How to Retain the Best Employee

The management must understand the difference between a dedicated employee and an employee who comes to office just for the sake of fun. The employees who really are concerned about the organization must be retained for better output and a healthy environment at the workplace. Let us go through few steps to avoid talent drain:

Work should never become monotonous and must offer a new learning each day. An employee should be able to upgrade his skills and enhance his knowledge at the workplace. Employees leave the organization whenever there are no chances of further growth. An individual must be made to do something which really excites him and most importantly matches his background. The employees must be asked to accomplish the tasks in the most innovative way for them to enjoy their work. No one should be asked to do anything out of compulsion. The team leader must not force anyone to work. Let them accept assignments willingly. The moment work becomes a burden for the employees, they look for a change. Every individual should enjoy privacy at the workplace. The superiors must ensure that no employee interferes in each others work. Team members sitting at adjacent desks should not overhear their colleagues conversation or check any confidential documents. These things lead to severe demotivation and prompt an individual to look for a change. Discussion is important but one should not irritate anyone. The team manager should also not make his team members life hell. Just give them deadlines and ask them to complete the assignments within the desired time frame. Motivate them to deliver their best but dont be after their life. Remember everyone is mature enough to understand that work comes first, and everything later. The seniors must be reachable to their subordinates in case of queries. The hierarchy should not be too complicated and transparency in communication is important at all levels. Manipulation of truth should be strictly avoided as it leads to severe misunderstandings and eventually conflicts. Employees look for a change when there are unnecessary disputes at the workplace. The team leader once in a week must make sure to meet all the team members on an open forum to address their concern. The meeting should not be made too formal. Everyone should be allowed to bring their cups of coffee. Such interaction strengthens the bond among the employees and also avoid friction among individuals. It is essential to have a positive ambience at the workplace for people to stick to it for a longer time. Every employee should be treated as one irrespective of his designation. Sexual harassment is against the law and is a strict no no at the workplace. The male workers should respect their female counterparts and make them feel comfortable. Dont ask any female employee to stay back late. Leg pulling, back stabbing, lewd remarks must be avoided at the organization to retain the employees. The management must formulate employee friendly policies. The employees must be allowed to take one or two leaves in a month so that they get time to rejuvenate. Dont call the employees on weekends. Let them enjoy. The human resource department must take the initiative to celebrate birthdays of employees at the workplace. This way people

come closer, make friends, develop trust and are thus reluctant to go for a change. Major festivals should also be celebrated at the organization for employees to get attached to the organization. Incentives, cash prizes, trophies, perks should be given to deserving employees to motivate them to perform up to the mark every time. The salaries of the high potential employees must be appraised from time to time as monetary dissatisfaction is one of the major reasons for employees quitting their jobs. The hard work of the workers must be appreciated. The slow learners must not be criticized but should be inspired to gear up for the next time. The performers must be made to participate in the decision making process. They should have a say in the major strategies of the organization for them to feel important and trust the management. Discipline is a must at the workplace. If the office timing is 9.30 am, every employee regardless of designation must punch his card at 9.30 am sharp or before that. No relaxation should be given to anyone. Partiality is something which does not work in the corporate world. It is important to maintain the decorum of the office to make the organization a better place to work.

Qualities in an Organization for a Better Employee Retention

Employee Retention refers to the various steps involved to retain the outgoing employees. Hiring is a cumbersome process and it is really not easy to find an employee who is loyal towards the organization and looks forward towards achieving its targets. An organization must encourage the employees to stick to it for a good amount of time and contribute effectively in their respective areas. Every individual strives hard to give his hundred percent to the organization and expects the same in return. An individual must feel attached to his workplace to enjoy his work and learn something new each day. The organization must promise opportunities for further growth to all the employees and each one should foresee a bright future there. Every individual expects peace and healthy working conditions to deliver his level best. A shady background and poor financial condition of the organization are the major factors leading to unrest amongst the employees. No individual likes to work with an organization running into losses. A sick unit is unable to pay salaries on time making it difficult for the employees to work with it for a long time. An organization must be financially stable for the employees to feel safe and secure. Rules and regulations are formulated for the benefit of the employees and thus should not be too rigid. An organization must have employee friendly policies for the individuals to stay motivated. The management must take into consideration the genuine problems of the employees to make the organization a better place to work. Leave policies and compensation structure should be designed in a manner to satisfy the needs of the employees.

Monetary satisfaction is one of the major reasons as to why an employee sticks to an organization for a longer duration. Incentive plans, perks and other benefits should meet the expectations of the employees and should be directly proportional to the hard work put by the individuals. The high potential employees should be rewarded suitably to make them feel indispensable for the organization and to expect the same from them everytime. An organization must have a simple hierarchy and the functional areas of each team should be well defined. Complicated hierarchies lead to confusions and unnecessary disputes amongst team members. It is essential to maintain transparency at all levels. The team size should be restricted to 5 or 6 members for smooth flow of information and better output. Every team ideally should have a single leader willingly chosen by the team members to act as a strong support system for them. The superiors must be accessible to the team members in case of queries and must monitor the teams performance from time to time. The team leader should act as a role model for his team. Freedom of expression is of utmost importance at the workplace to retain employees. Individuals should have the liberty to express their ideas and discuss issues on an open forum. This way employees do not crib among themselves and come closer to each other. The organization must encourage employees to celebrate major festivals at the office premises itself. Ask them to bring their families as well. Such activities go a long way in strengthening the bond among the individuals and retaining them. It is important for the organization to have stringent policies for non performing employees. Strict action must be taken against those who come to organization just for fun and are just not bothered about their own work. The performers must get an extra edge and should be entitled to exclusive benefits. An organization must offer a positive ambience to its employees to expect a consistent performance from them. The workplace should be free from all sorts of disputes, nasty politics, controversies and blame games which go a long way in demotivating an employee and prompting him to look for a change. Healthy competition is essential at the workplace to encourage the employees to perform up to the mark every time.

After Effects of a Poor Employee Retention

Employees are the major assets of any organization. An organization cant survive if the individuals are not focussed and serious about their work. The success and failure of any organization depend on the hard work put by the employees to achieve the targets of the organization. It is a common observation that employees who spend a good amount of time in the organization tend to know more about it and thus contribute effectively. They develop a sense of loyalty towards their workplace and strive hard to live up to the expectations of the management. There are several reasons as to why an employee decides to move on. Monetary dissatisfaction, a negative environment at the workplace, dirty politics, complicated hierarchies, lack of

challenging work, poor supervision being the major ones. In the current scenario almost all the leading organizations are facing the problem of employee retention. Management somehow fails to stop the high potential employees and thus face the negative consequences. It becomes really difficult for the organization to retain the employees who decide to quit for a better opportunity. Let us go through some of the after effects of poor employee retention:

Every organization invests its time and money in training a new joinee to bring him at par with the existing employees. The organization is at a complete loss when the employees quit all of a sudden. Hiring needs to be done all over again and still there is no surety whether the new joinee would be apt for the profile or not? One wrong person hired and the output of the entire team and eventually the organization goes for a toss. Employees who spend a considerable amount of time in any organization know it in and out and thus can perform better. They are well familiar with the company policies and adjustment is never a problem. Employees who come and go find it very difficult to settle down in a new environment and are thus always in a state of dilemma. They are not able to perform up to their potential and eventually the work and the organization suffers. Individuals who have the habit of changing jobs frequently never get attached to any particular organization. They just treat the organization as a mere source of earning money. They are never serious about their work and fail to accomplish the tasks within the desired time frame. It hardly matters to them whether the organization is performing well or not? In cases of poor retention policies, employees are just not bothered about the reputation of their office and avoid taking initiative to do something new. The employees who are there for a long time in the organization are trustworthy and the management can rely on them anytime. When individuals leave any organization, they are more likely to join the competitors. Sometimes they tend to take confidential data along with them to create an impression in their new organization. This way the plans of the organization get leaked even before implementation and they fail to do anything great. Employees must not share any information with an external party in any manner what so ever. An organization cant perform well if the employees speak negative about it. It is essential to have a group of loyalists who play an important role in furthering the brand image of the company. Employees working with an organization for a long time never badmouth it and are somewhat emotionally attached to it. People leaving in a short span always speak ill about their previous organizations. The loyalty factor is almost zero and no one is ready to take ownership of work.

The HR department must take the initiative to discuss the several issues disturbing an employee and try to sort it out as soon as possible. An organization must work hard towards retaining those who really are important for the organization.