High performance environments are
stressful workplaces, to say the least. When results are king, mediocrity is
disdained and failure intolerable. Some employees burn out in the struggle to
consistently meet the high expectations typical of these environments.
Meanwhile, the individuals who thrive in these environments have intense
ambition--and are always on the lookout for greener pastures.
How, then, can high-performing
employers reduce turnover, and better retain employees?
The problem may be in the reactive
approach companies take when addressing retention. Why not address retention
proactively, as a strategic issue? As I see it, there are three things any
organization can do to proactively combat turnover.
1. Hire Retainable Employees
The pressure’s on from day one in
a high performance environment. While some thrive under pressure, others will
falter. By only hiring people who are likely to excel in your organization, you
can reduce the chances of this type of casualty.
Work with your managers and top
performers to identify what backgrounds, skills or personality characteristics
your retainable employees have in common. Then, use this insight to guide your
sourcing and screening.
2. Don’t Just Fill Roles -
Plan Careers
It’s easy to focus on the near-term
when managing people in a high performance environment. You bring in “A
Players” with the expectation that they’ll succeed in the role for which you’ve
hired them--and unrealistically assume they will stay in that role forever. You
need to think bigger.
Career-pathing doesn’t have to be
a formal program. The key is to guide your employees in mapping out how they
can attain their career goals within your company. Even a rough or incomplete
plan is better than no plan at all. Simply having conversations around an
employee’s goals shows you care about the employee’s future, which in turn
breeds loyalty.
3. Make Retention Personal
Every employee is motivated by
different things, and retention strategies thus need to be tailored down to the
individual level. Successful organizations don’t view retention initiatives as
“one size fits all.” Instead, they’re making retention strategies personal.
How? By simply asking, “What motivates you?”
You may be surprised to find that
monetary incentives are low on the list of responses you get. These days, “A
Players” are more concerned with challenging work, personal and professional
growth opportunities, work/life balance, and workplace flexibility.
If money’s the only thing you’re
offering employees, don’t be surprised if they look elsewhere for what really
matters to them.
What retention strategies have
you seen work in a high performance environment? Leave a comment, and join the
conversation.
Special thanks to Kyle Lagunas for his contribution of this article to the CatapultHR blog.
About the Author: Kyle
Lagunas is the HR Analyst at Software
Advice. He blogs about trends, best practices, and
technology in HR, talent management, and recruiting. This article originally
appeared on his blog: http://blog.softwareadvice.com/articles/hr/5-retention-strategies-for-a-high-performance-environment-1062112/
