In the highly competitive field of employee recruitment, organizations large and small have come to appreciate the old adage, “Good people are hard to find.” They’re also finding out that good people can be even harder to keep on your staff once you have found them. Holding on to your top performers is an ever-increasing challenge in today’s business world.
Only about a third of U.S. employees feel engaged at their current workplace, according to Gallup. With engagement playing a major role in retention, it stands to reason that employers should make engagement a primary focus.
In a previous article, we elaborated on some broader concepts that positively impact employee engagement, like building trusting relationships between employees and management, promoting effective communication, and living the right values that support the employer brand. But what does that look like in real life?
One often-underutilized step employers can take is to ramp up employee appreciation and recognition. While the first Friday in March is Employee Appreciation Day, there’s no reason employers can’t make it a regular occurrence.
Here are some ways employers can do that:
-
Give an “employee of the month” award, complete with a certificate or plaque.
-
Take an employee to lunch at their favorite local spot.
-
If you have a company newsletter, write a brief story of praise for the person.
-
Give a “shout out” in a department staff meeting, recognizing the employee in front of their peers.
-
Send an e-card or a handwritten note of thanks.
-
Award an extra vacation day, a special parking spot for a week, or an additional casual-dress day at the office.
Implementing these and other ideas can go a long way toward retaining your highest achievers, while improving your company’s reputation and signifying your organizational brand as an “employer of choice.”
Employers Council offers useful resources on this concept that reveal the nuances of engaging and retaining your workers. Our whitepaper on employee retention is available on our website. Consulting and Enterprise members can contact us for further guidance.
Wayne D'Antoni is a human resources consultant for Employers Council.