Is your firm producing a steady stream of valuable employees who are heading out the door?
If you’re looking for a causal factor this may provide a valuable clue: “People don’t leave jobs, they leave managers,” says Travis Bradberry, co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and President of Talent Smart. Here’s four ways you may be shortchanging your workers:
- Neglect. Nothing riles a diligent worker more than seeing other less-capable employees receiving promotions and perks. They may feel as if they are invisible. If your hardworking employee has been parked in a cubicle for some time, don’t be surprised when they hand in their resignation. Do keep an ear attuned to office-talk as it may provide valuable clues that a key worker is approaching the breaking point. It’s worth the effort to retain a tried and tested employee.
- Overworking. Spending five minutes a day engaging with employees is one of the best investments a manager can make to increase morale. No poacher can woo a valuable worker to a competitor when relationship bonds are strong and healthy. Try to remedy the situation where workers feel overworked and undervalued. Reach out in a friendly, non-threatening way and express a genuinely caring attitude. Gather feedback, then redistribute workflow in a more equitable fashion. Approach it as an experiment, as it may take a while for everyone to adjust.
- Underutilizing. There’s simply no excuse for leaving a worker idle for hours at at time, but it happens all too frequently. Sometimes managers feel as if they can’t afford the time to ensure a worker has a sufficient amount of tasks. A pigeonholed employee won’t be with you for long, because money is not the main motivator in retention. Allow your workers the opportunity to stretch their horizons. Intelligent, committed workers are easily bored. They crave engagement. Don’t aim for 100-percent utilization of your workforce or you’ll burn out your employees (and yourself, too!). Do equip them with the tools they need to shine in their position.
- Fear. When your income stream is threatened, or your workflow is unpredictable, anxiety can enter the picture. An anxious employee is more likely to have a herd mentality. The desire for security trumps the motivation to learn and practice new skills. If that’s the case, go slow, be patient and keep your voice steady and reassuring.