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Keep Your Keepers: 16 Cost-Effective Ways to Grow Your Company
August 29, 2007
Employees matter. No, really, think about it: Your competitors have access to the exact same resources as you—which means infinite choices exist for your customers, and for your employees as well. According to Joanne G. Sujansky, Ph.D, CSP, if you're not seeking ways to nurture employees and meet their needs, they will seek greener pastures—and your customers will follow them over the fence.
"Many leaders don't realize that the rules of business have changed almost overnight," says Pittsburgh, Pa.-based KEYGroup's founder and CEO Joanne Sujansky. "The old paradigm says that your primary focus should be on keeping your customer happy. The new paradigm says the employee has taken over that spot. Keep her engaged and she'll keep your customers happy. Neglect her needs and she won't be so concerned about keeping her end of the bargain. In the end, not only will she go elsewhere, your customers may follow suit."
Make no mistake: when employees start searching for greener pastures, it's a bona fide disaster. So the million-dollar question is: What are the secret little things that will help you keep your employees engaged and productive? And how can you do it without breaking the bank?
Here are 16 easy-to-plant and inexpensive "seeds" that will help your pasture be the greenest for your future and current employees:
1. Don't misrepresent your culture.
Employee engagement begins with the first interview. What are you telling your new hires about the company? Are you giving an accurate representation of your corporate culture? "When new employees find out how things are really done, not only will they resent you, they'll likely find somewhere else to work," says Sujansky. "Every company should be honest about the kind of work environment it represents…If your culture isn't quite where you'd like it to be, tell your new hires about the type of company you are striving to become, tell them how you are going to get there, and how they can help you get there."
2. Learn the rules of engagement.
Boredom hinders not only productivity, it prevents happiness. Although many employees may complain about their workload, not having enough work will have the same disengaging effects. Present staffers with challenging assignments and provide them with opportunities to grow and develop. "Not surprisingly, employees appreciate it when their employers take an interest in their future inside and outside the company," says Sujansky. "A great way to do that is by providing opportunities for employees to improve on their skills or learn a new skill they can use in their everyday jobs." When employees are satisfied, they'll stick around.
3. Cross-pollinate your culture.
Make your pasture the greenest by embracing diversity A diverse workforce—in race, ethnicity, gender, age, geographic origin, education, personality, experience, etc.—creates an energy that can rarely exist in an environment of uniformity. Companies that bring together a diverse group of people to get the job done are richer, more stimulating and more fun.
4. Be a good corporate citizen.
Today's employers are finding that they have to care about more than profits if they want to keep employees happy. Environment, health, and safety issues are in the public spotlight and, as a result, employees want to work for companies who take these factors into consideration. A study from the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College found that 30 percent of employers say that good corporate citizenship helps them recruit and retain employees.
5. Give praise where praise is due.
Tell your workers when they've done a good job—it's that simple. And let his co-workers and even customers know. Recognizing a job well done isn't an expensive proposition, but it will mean the world to your employee. Utilize an employee recognition program to ensure continual achievement recognition. This will also give managers the ability to reward a job well done with a more tangible prize—such as a gift certificate.
6. Get creative with benefits.
Normal benefits—such as health insurance and a 401(k)—are usually given by all companies. And when most employees can get the benefits they need almost anywhere, these perks lose their valuable appeal. Organizatons need to think outside the box and figure out which benefits will benefit them the most in terms of rentention. "Take a note from Qualcomm. In addition to offering an amazing healthcare package, the company caters dinner for employees who work late, a relatively inexpensive perk that is sure to please hungry, hardworking employees." says Sujansky. "Other options include providing access to dry-cleaning services, treating all of your employees to lunch once a week, or providing them with on-site educational programs delivered by local experts or company vendors in a wide variety of fields."
7. Be aware of the changing needs of your employees.
Change is inevitable in business—and that includes your employees' needs. As your baby boomer employees get older, so do their parents and children. Be understanding when they need to take time off to take care of Mom, Dad or child. And never give them a hard time when they need to take care of their own health issues. By understanding their changing needs, you show sensitivity to what's going on their lives and build loyalty.
8. Great employees thrive under great leaders.
It's the managers who have direct contact with employees, and it's their leadership that is a company's best bet to retention. The buck starts and stops here—it's commonly said that employees don't quit their job, they quit their manager. "Pay attention to your front line managers. Keep a close eye on their relationships with employees and get rid of bad managers when necessary. If your employees see that you care about who you enlist as a leader, they'll feel more secure and will work even harder," Sujansky says.
9. Conduct "stay" interviews regularly.
Regular "stay" interviews provide a great opportunity for leaders to compliment their high performers on their great work and also to inspire them to do more to take the company to the next level. "Use these interviews to gauge how well you are meeting your employees' needs," says Sujansky. "Be open and honest with your employees and always seek out their suggestions on what you and the company can do to improve."
10. Create a "best" work environment.
Is your work environment restrictive and stifling? Make sure your employees are allowed to develop and implement their own ideas within your organization. It will help keep them passionate about their work—and keep them on your roster.
11. Help employees achieve work/life balance.
In today's high-tech world, it is easy to allow employees to work from home in different types of mobility programs. "Providing flexible hours or allowing your employees to work from home shows them you value the lives they have outside the office," says Sujansky. But the problem is that too many companies expect mobile employees to then be "on call." If you give even a slight impression of this, you'll disrupt their delicate work/life balance that they probably already struggle to maintain. Employees in today's workforce saw their parents give their lives to companies while missing soccer games, recitals, and family dinners only to be laid off at age 55 without much hope for finding other employment—and many refuse to let it happen to them. Promote time-off from work as much as you promote productivity and bottom lines.
12. Insist that your employees take vacations.
Several studies show that employees who take vacations are less stressed, lead a healthier lifestyle and are at lower risk of having heart disease. All of that means lower healthcare costs for you. Furthermore, employees who get away from the office are less likely to suffer burnout. If it isn't possible for employees to take a full week off, encourage them to take shorter more frequent vacations.
13. Create an environment of trust.
Employees are happier and work harder when they feel like they can trust their leaders. And they decide which leaders they can trust based on how their fellow employees, company vendors and customers are treated. Do you treat all with the same level of respect? Do you behave ethically and hold others accountable for their actions? If an employee sees you treating someone else poorly, his level of trust diminishes and he starts to care less about doing a good job for you. But remember that trust is a two-way street. Your employees need to feel that you trust them as well. Again, this is where flexible work hours and mobility programs come to benefit.
14. Get rid of weeds.
Poor performers and negative employees stifle the good attitudes and high performance of their fellow employees, just as weeds choke out green grass. If poor performers are allowed to thrive—and even protected—then your stars employees will feel mistreated and leave. "Any environment where employees are not held accountable for their actions, whether they're positive or negative, can create a poor working environment," says Sujansky. "The greenest pastures are never filled with weeds so keep that in mind when you are growing and developing yours."
15. Use internship and mentoring programs to grow and nurture new talent.
Grow and nurture talent by allow your promising prospects and employees to learn what your company culture is all about and develop their own professional skills. It's a win-win situation for your company: Employees see growth opportunities and feel appreciated while you get a sneak-peak at your internal talent pool.
16. Take a seasonal approach.
"There are any number of ways to do this," says Sujansky. "Be creative. In summer, consider giving half-days off on Friday, or give a half-day off before an employee's vacation to help her minimize the stress of leaving town. Even something as simple as providing fresh fruit or flowers for the office can make an impact. At the holidays, bring in gift wrappers or give employees a day off to take care of their seasonal shopping. These ideas aren't expensive, and they go a long way toward showing employees that you care."
Joanne G. Sujansky, PhD, CSP, has helped leaders to increase business growth and profitability by creating and sustaining what she calls a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Organization for over 25 years. Her expertise, insight, wisdom, humor, and practical solutions have made Joanne a highly sought-after speaker for keynote addresses, seminars, conferences, and workshops. For more information, please visit keygroupconsulting.com or joannesujansky.com.
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