Employees have many reasons for deciding to leave a job or company. However, in todays market some of the top reasons they list for finding new opportunities are: feeling unsupported, lack of recognition, poor work-life balance and dissatisfaction with company culture. In the article below, we look at five ways in which you can support your employees, help them grown within your organization and have a positive company culture. Treating your employees right and having low turn over are two of the building blocks of a successful organization.

Mentorship Programs

Employee retention can significantly benefit from mentor ship programs in the workplace as it is almost an extension of the on boarding process. Pairing a new employee with a mentor is great way for them to learn the ropes, have a direct contact to go to for questions and guidance. These programs do not just have to be for new employees, but existing staff could also benefit from mentor-mentee relationships. These are a great way to learn new vantagepoints on projects, as well as learn from well-seasoned employees. It is a win-win scenario as new employees will feel welcomed and supported and current employees will feel valued.

Acknowledge Milestones Big or Small

Work anniversaries, birthdays, and big company wins are all great ways to shine light on employees. By acknowledging a team win for a big project or a positive comment from a client about an employee on a project, drawing attention to these can make employees feel valued and important. Even a virtual acknowledgment in a company chat can be meaningful and a memorable moment for employees.

Continuous Feedback

Many Canadian business are foregoing annual performance reviews and instead are taking a different approach with more frequent meetings with team members. Regular one-on-one meetings with employees allow everyone to have more open dialogue to discuss challenges at work and areas in which there may need improvement. These meetings are also a great way to set and discuss short-term professional goals and help them strategize for long-term goals within in the company as well.

Training and Development

Upskilling is extremely important in today’s job world as things such as technology change and advance so quickly. It is important that employees learn new trends as they emerge and providing this training onsite for them will make them feel as though you value them and are wanting them to stay on long term with your organization. Investing in your employee’s professional development is paramount in making them feel worthy to management. Other ways you can support employees is have them attend conferences and leadership seminars, offer tuition reimbursement for continuing education and provide literature specific to their job role.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Although offices have reopened and everyone is back to work, it is important to recognize that some employees still prefer to work remotely. While that may not be an option full time, having an arrangement where employees can be in the office part time and at home the remainder of the time is important. Offering things like a compress work week, flextime and set office days give employees the flexibility they may be looking for. Scheduling meetings for in person on office days allows for face-to-face collaborating and team building allow for employees to come together. Leaving more independent work to WFH days lets them work on the ideas discussed at the office. Having to not commute 5 days a week is also a stress reducer and allows for more of a work-life balance for your employees.

The five employee retention strategies discussed above are just a few ways in which you can increase your employees satisfaction in your company. While you can never guarantee how long an employee will stay within an organization, you can certainly take some proactive steps to making it a place they will think twice about leaving. Having a positive workplace environment is also great for attracting new employees and for keeping current staff on long-term.

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