Top Three Tips for Improving Employee Engagement and Retention:
Strategies for Turning Your Good People Into Top Talent
from the Turning Good People Into Top Talent blog series
Retaining top talent is one of the highest priorities for many organizations today. Employee turnover is more than losing a familiar face. It is expensive to recruit and replace employees. In addition to the obvious costs of recruiting and training a new employee, there is also the long-term effect of losing a top performer, including the impact on morale.
Consider the following three strategies for improving employee engagement and retention:
- Get the Right Person in the Right Job from the Start
Establishing job-talent fit can dramatically increase the probability of success. Select candidates based on capacity and motivation, not just on skills and experience. The use of talent assessments takes the guesswork out of finding the right fit and establishes the basis for a personal development plan. - Address the Reasons Talented People Leave
There is long-standing research that shows people don’t leave organizations, they leave bad managers. A healthy employee-manager relationship is one of the primary ways an organization can help keep top talent fully engaged. Begin by examining the capacity of all managers to perform in their role. Many are simply not suited for the job. - Provide Continuous Learning Opportunities
An objective measurement of an employee’s strengths and areas for improvement is a benefit of the job-talent fit process (#1 above). Managers and team leaders must have highly developed coaching skills to help employees discover and apply their strengths. A plan of continuous improvement can demonstrate how employees can grow with the company. This approach will have a positive impact on engagement and retention.
Visit the Talent Management Institute, www.talentmanagementinstitute.com and check out the done-with-you resources available for improving the selection, alignment and development of your talent.
Bob
Bob Moore, CMC
Managing Principal, the Talent Management Institute
Internationally Recognized Authority on Talent Management
Author of Turning Good People Into Top Talent