Employee Retention Strategies

Today, people are constantly looking for the next “best thing” as a way of finding stability and security given the economic conditions of the market.  This includes employees who are looking for new job opportunities that give them more pay, better benefits, and opportunities to grow into leadership roles.  As a result, employers must get creative with their offerings to retain their top employees.

 

However, there’s more that employers can be doing to embrace their employees and retain them.  To better simplify employee retention, let’s use the analogy of a garden to identify 5 key factors employers can use to retain employees.

 

• Soil (Work Environment): The soil in a garden is the work environment employers provide their employees. Similarly, to how plants blossom in different types of soil, employees flourish in environments that support their growth. A healthy work environment can include: a positive company culture, remote/hybrid work models, and clear leadership/expectations.

 

• Water (Leadership/Management): Water is essential for plants to grow and develop to their potential. In the same way, managers play a pivotal role in employee productivity through providing support/guidance, giving strong feedback, and demonstrating understanding.

 

• Sunlight (Career Growth): Sunlight is crucial for photosynthesis and growth in plants. In the same way, career growth opportunities play an important role in employee engagement and growth. Providing employees with skill development avenues, promotions, and career advancement opportunities allows employees to flourish as they see a bright future ahead.

 

• Fertilizer (Benefits and Rewards): Fertilizers increase the health of plants, in the same way that benefits/rewards enhance the well-being and motivation of employees. It is important to reward employees for their hard work through factors such as: increase in salary, quarterly celebrations, incentives, and recognition awards.

 

• Roots (Workplace Flexibility and Trust): Similarly, to how certain plants thrive when rooted in one place and other plants need the freedom to spread their roots; a remote/hybrid model allows employees to feel a sense of freedom and trust from employers. This trust gives employees a sense of loyalty and appreciation to their employer that cannot be easily replaced by another employer.

 

• Variety of Flowers (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion): A garden looks more beautiful when there are a variety of flowers. Similarly, an organization is more successful with a stronger diverse workforce. By embracing diversity and inclusion, employees feel more comfortable and build employee engagement/collaboration.

 

By committing to these factors, employers can create a flourishing garden (company) where employees feel engaged, supported, and motivated to provide their best efforts daily.  Furthermore, just like how a well-maintained garden catches the eyes of those who pass by the garden, a positive workplace culture and environment can attract and retain top talent in the market!  To achieve organizational success, employees must have a standard of excellence. Therefore, investing and incorporating these employee retention strategies is not just an option for employers, but a necessity to stay competitive.

 

Contact Us today to speak with one of our Account Executives and let us help you build your team with the right talent this year!

 

References:

Mettler, D. (2021, November 3). 10 ways gardening is like retaining great employees. Employee Training Programs. https://www.mediapartners.com/blog/post/10_ways_gardening_is_like_retaining_great_employees

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