Business mentor: Staff happy if they are valued

Q. I've had a few staff leave lately and found them very hard to replace. It's had a huge impact on clients and the firm's productivity. How on earth can I retain good employees when I'm already paying them well?

Small business sector specialist Sarah Trotman asked Christine Norton at recruitment company BridgesOne for some advice:

A. How many times have we heard that question recently?

Let's look at the broader picture. Do you know why they have left? What is your retention rate? Have you conducted exit interviews to find out? People are generally honest when they have handed in their notice and have nothing to lose - or is your attitude "Good riddance". What is your retention rate? The bottom line is if you want to find and keep good people you must be a good employer. "I am a good employer - I pay them top rates," I hear you argue. Fine, but are salaries the only yardstick?

Keynote speakers at the Recruiting 2005 Conference and Expo, held in New York last month, offered seven reasons why some employees leave and others stay:

* The job or workplace was not as expected.

* The mismatch between job and person.

* Too little coaching and feedback.

* Too few growth and advancement opportunities.

* Feeling devalued and unrecognised.

* Stress from overwork and work-life balance.

* Loss of trust and confidence in senior leaders. (Alisa Bright, quoting author Leigh Branham.)

Note that none of the above mentions salary. When we drill down further, we find that 38 per cent leave because of leadership factors - lack of trust, coaching (which can also mean induction processes) and flexibility.

We see evidence of this in what candidates tell us every day in interviews. I never cease to be amazed that companies continue to either misrepresent the position to prospective employees, may take six months or more to give them an employment contract and continually put up lame excuses for not doing what they promised. No wonder employees lose trust.

So how do we get them to stay? According to Richard Finnegan, Talent Keepers, the top reasons employees stay are:

* Career growth, learning and development.

* Exciting work and challenge.

* Meaningful work - making a difference and a contribution.

Again, 27 per cent of this boils down to issues of leadership and 23 per cent to career advancement.

OK, I hear you say, but not all work is necessarily exciting or very challenging and in our small business there is little room for advancement.

Agreed, but with some creative thinking, challenge and growth can be manifested in quite simple ways.

Firstly, ask them what their ideal management style is; how do they prefer to be managed by their supervisor? You will probably find that the answer can be summed up in: "Fair but firm, give me the targets and guidelines and let me get on with it but provide recognition when I've done a good job - a pat on the back and a thank you go a long way. Let me be involved in decision-making appropriate for my level; I like to feel that I am making a contribution."

Secondly, find out what really makes an individual person tick - where are their "hot buttons"? What are their career goals? How can you satisfy these in your organisation? You may be surprised at how simple accommodating an individual's growth can be but you won't know if you don't ask the questions.

Make yours a good company to work in, provide good leadership and growth, and retention will become easier. Are you a good employer? Take a moment to reflect on the SAS management philosophy, acccording to Alisa Bright, manager of corporate human resources at SAS, an employer of 9787 people worldwide: "Treat people like they make a difference and they will make a difference".