Employee attraction and retention was once a concept that a lot of business leaders did not think nor worry about. Today, it is one of the biggest priorities of organizational strategies. We are all in a constant competition for the best talent, and the talent knows it. Organizations have to adapt to these professionals and find talent management strategies that will keep their employees engaged and valued.
One thing an organization should do to improve employee retention is train its managers on tactics like leadership team development. Employees are asking for it; they want opportunities to grow, be challenged, and solve real problems. When they aren’t developed, they become disengaged and unproductive. This leaves employers with a gap when looking for future managers. Ineffective management is an epidemic in business. It’s understandable because most managers simply aren’t trained to manage. They are the good employees who are promoted to management positions because they were good at their job but receive no additional training in how to lead and motivate people. They do their best with the knowledge they have based on their own experiences, but struggle to manage people to develop team strengths and improve productivity.
The result in the United States is staggering. A Gallup study in 2014 found that 5 out of 8 employees are disengaged at work. What about the remaining 3? Two of them (1 in 4) are toxic employees who are actively campaigning against the organization. This leaves 1 out of 8 of your people who are “all in” and fully engaged in the success of your organization. This presents quite an opportunity.
Train your managers to be effective. Teach them how to engage employees, capitalize on team strengths, help them to focus on what they need to accomplish, and how to foster a climate of accountability. The results will be widespread and lay the groundwork for a high performance culture.
