3 Retention and Engagement Strategies to Keep Employees Committed to Your Company

By Andre Lavoie

You see your team being disengaged at work every day. They sit at their workstations, heads down and quiet—clicking mouses and tapping keyboards. Then they punch out.

This could go on like this for a long time, and then eventually some people will leave. New employees will come in, and more will leave. This cycle is common, and it proves employee retention is the biggest challenge you face.

The good news is you’re not alone. In fact, more than half of employees say they're disengaged at work. What’s more, 10% of workers surveyed said they were very or somewhat likely to quit in the next 3-6 months. Disengagement is turning your A players into active job seekers, which is causing widespread employee retention nightmares for many organizations.

It’s difficult to engage your staff each day, unless you understand one thing: Employees want to be challenged and see their growth. To re-energize your workforce, focus on building a culture around learning and development.

Let’s take a look at how to do this and how to pull your company out of an employee retention slump.

Help employees plan their future

If your top talent doesn’t fully understand where they are heading with you, they are likely to seek other opportunities. To keep staff from jumping ship, show them how they fit into the future of your company.

Explore career options and determine employee growth goals that align with current roles and the roles that they want. If they have clear objectives that include advancement opportunities, they will be more engaged in their day-to-day and more enthusiastic about taking on new challenges.

For those employees who feel stuck in their roles, motivate them by sharing the success stories. Be sure to demonstrate that advancement and professional growth is possible. Also, encourage communication and collaboration among your entire team, even if they work in different locations.

Outdoor retailer Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) promotes employee communication by hosting a digital space where employees across the country can engage with each other and have open discussions. Encourage your staff to share their growth goals and talk about how they plan to advance within the company.

Provide development opportunities

When employees can see their true potential, they become more engaged in their work. After you've shown your employees career path options and have helped them plan their growth goals, develop programs that deliver tools and resources to help them grow. They can be as hands-on or hands-off as you want—just make sure they align with your culture.

For example, software app company Buffer encourages independence in its staff, so it offers employees $20 to put toward any type of learning. This learning stipend fits the company's small budget and culture.

If you want a more structured program, design a program for each role. That way new hires know from day one there are opportunities to grow after they learn the fundamentals of their roles and the culture.

Track short- and long-term goals

One major oversight committed by many employers is not offering feedback. As Gallup's poll found, 80% of employees who say they've gotten meaningful feedback in the past week say they are fully engaged at work.

To improve feedback, start conducting ongoing performance assessments, where you provide feedback on employee performance and help your staff set short- and long-term goals. These weekly sit-downs should be one-on-ones and focused on areas where your employees are thriving and where they are falling short.

Help employees track their progress toward their goals and stay actively involved in keeping them on track. Management consulting firm Bain & Company, for example, provides each of its consultants access to a staffing and professional development manager who provides advice and advocates for consultants as they manage their professional development.

Consider teaming up employees to manage their goals. Encourage them to keep each other accountable and regularly reflect on how they’re approaching their growth objectives together.

Show your staff how their goals align with their career paths and roles. Giving them context and demonstrating how taking action on a daily basis can help them grow professionally will improve employee retention and engagement. When you invest in your employees’ growth and center your culture on learning, your staff will be more engaged and ready to commit to your company.

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