It may not seem like that big of a deal when an employee decides to quit, but the consequences can be insidious. There are a lot of things that have to be done when someone decides to leave. From wrapping up their work to filling up the hole they are leaving by diving up projects, to finding someone new, losing an employee can be expensive. It’s even worse if you have to deal with unemployment claims management tasks because that person thinks they are owed compensation due to mistreatment.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do if you want your employees to work hard, come to the office happy, and stick around.
Pay Them Well
It sounds simple, but it really is the best way to convince your employees to stay with your company—pay them more! It’s true that money isn’t the only way to motivate your employees, but it’s a huge factor in how well they perform. It’s a factor in how likely they are to stay in their position too.
How much should you pay your employees? If you really want them to stay, strive to pay them more than the industry standard. They will have a difficult time justifying quitting their job if they have to take a pay cut to do it.
No matter how much money you pay, you should hand out raises frequently. When you commit to yearly raises, employees can always count on getting paid more as they continue to work hard for your company.
Treat Everyone Equally
Do you treat everyone equally? You probably think you do, but if you ask your employees, they may tell you something different.
Employees will become disgruntled if they see your expectations are different for different employees. When one employee seems to slack off, turn in work late, and say things over and over that are inappropriate, but you and other members of the management team always let it slide, they are likely to start looking for a job somewhere else.
This also includes being too hard on some employees, regardless of the reason. Even if you claim it’s because you’re trying to help them achieve a promotion, being treated differently is not only tiring for them, but it’s frustrating for others in the office to watch too.
Recognize a Job Well Done
You expect your employees to do their job, but that doesn’t mean you can’t thank them for a job well done!
Everyone likes to feel like they are appreciated. If you take the time to show your employees how glad you are to have them, they are more likely to stick around.
A few ways to say thank you for a job well done at work include:
- Hand out gift certificates
- Write a thank-you note
- Praise an employee at the next meeting
- Buy lunch or other treats
- Hand out certificates or engraved plaques
- Give them extra time off
Make Sure Expectations Are Clear
Do your employees know what to expect? This can run the gamut from the attitudes and language that are acceptable at work to document formatting and deadlines. If there is any confusion, and it feels difficult to clear up that confusion, you may find your employees looking for a different job.
It’s important to make sure you set up clear expectations for your employees, and they have an easy way to clarify those expectations if they have any questions. Outline employee expectations, team expectations, and performance expectations in a handbook and address updates and reminders in meetings. It’s an especially good idea to talk about these expectations during the interview and onboarding process for new employees so there aren’t any surprises as they start working for your company.
Don’t Micromanage
Micromanaging can devastate your team, convincing employees to drop like flies. If you’re drilling employees hard about how long they can take for lunch, asking them about projects they are working on every step of the way, or demand to approve emails before they are sent to certain members of the team, it’s time to stop!
You hired your employees because you felt they were competent for the job, so let them do it! Back off, give your employees some autonomy, and they will feel a lot happier to come to work every day.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can’t do anything about employees who decide to leave your company for a different job. Armed with these tips, you can convince more of them to stick around for a while.
