Improving employee retentionPosted by Nicole CoyneOn May 27, 2016

Are you continually having to re-fill key positions within your team?

Employee retention is an area in business that is often overlooked. It doesn’t sound as sexy as product innovation, marketing initiatives or even evaluating the company’s P & L. So management often pay more attention to these issues, than on how to stop losing team members to the competition, for example.

Not dealing with employee retention problems can be like walking on thin ice. The weight of your business goals become so heavy that the business resources, specifically your team, are unable to support the business demands and eventually something has to give. Without a strong team, there can be no innovation or business growth and you will find yourself sinking into icy water.

Surely it can’t be that hard? Find the right people and give them an offer they cannot refuse. Unfortunately it’s not that simple. Job offers don’t stand on their own. New hires also have to accept everything else that comes along with their new position. They are accepting the day-to-day routines, the norms, challenges, reputation and history of your business. They are accepting the leadership team and new peers. They are accepting “how things get done” within the business.

Now if they are happy with these factors, which make up a company’s culture, then performing their new job becomes easy. They are not distracted by non-work office stuff and are able to give their new position one hundred percent focus. The environment or culture will actually boost their performance, morale and efficiency. However, if things are feeling “off” they will be distracted, which will result in lower performance, lack of focus and possible demotivation. This scenario may not end there, as they can even become a disruptor within the business.

So if you are a business that wants to attract the right kind of people, with specialised skills and knowledge to drive your business forward and to remain loyal to your business, then you must take a step back and take an objective look at your business. Don’t just ask if the potentials on the shortlist can do the job, but assess whether they would fit into the company’s culture. Ask yourself if the company’s culture is able to support these people. Is your culture something these professionals will want to be part of, or something that they should sensibly avoid?

It’s not just about the job!