The days of employees spending entire careers with one employer until retirement are largely over. Some individuals may still stick to one organization for practical reasons, but the allure of fresh opportunities with other employers is attractive to many.
In this constantly changing job market, organizations are striving to improve commitment and enthusiasm among their workforce in hopes of retaining their employees for years, if not decades. To that end, 18 Forbes Human Resources Council members share key strategies to help you retain employees and maintain (or reignite) their passion for their jobs.
1. Involve Employees In CSR Initiatives
Actively involve employees in meaningful corporate social responsibility initiatives aligned with the company's values and mission. By participating in activities such as volunteerism, environmental sustainability projects or community outreach, employees feel a deeper sense of purpose and connection to their work and company. This engagement not only fosters great culture but also employee retention and enthusiasm. - Rachel Fletcher
2. Launch An Internal Mobility Program
Today, employees aren't planning to stay with one company until they retire. A strategy to improve retention is to deploy an internal mobility program, supported by a talent marketplace. This will allow employees to find and apply for roles and projects within the company, based on their skills and interests. This will drive new levels of engagement and a positive outlook for the future. - Jason Averbook, Leapgen
3. Prioritize Career Development
To boost retention rates and sustain motivation, we must prioritize career development. Employees may perceive long tenure as limiting their financial and professional growth. By aligning HR strategies with business needs, we can attract top talent, establish goals that resonate with employees at various stages of their careers, facilitate their progression and recognize and reward their contributions. - Nichelle Cole, Topa Insurance Company
MORE FOR YOU
4. Create A High-Performance Culture
An organization’s growth is inextricably linked to the growth and commitment of its people. Culture binds people together, guiding the reality of their everyday work life. Drive growth by fostering a high-performance culture that attracts top talent, rewards excellence and encourages going above and beyond. Building an outstanding culture is the greatest sustainable competitive advantage. - Barry Asin, Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)
5. Provide New Experiences
Employers need to create an environment that allows employees to have new experiences without leaving their roles. That means providing plenty of vertical and lateral career opportunities, creating a culture where anyone can suggest an idea regardless of department and building leadership groups for high-potential employees. Workplaces that do this see higher retention and enthusiasm rates. - Kyle Samuels, Creative Talent Endeavors
6. Develop Tailored Growth Plans
Rather than implementing a one-size-fits-all approach to staff engagement and retention, company leaders should talk with individual employees and work with them to develop tailored growth and development plans that align with business objectives. Employees' career goals can change, so these should be living, breathing documents that are evaluated regularly and updated as needed. - Lynne Marie Finn, Broadleaf Results
Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
7. Allow Exploration Of Different Roles
Encouraging a culture of internal mobility can impact retention. This is done by allowing employees to explore different roles and departments. It keeps work fresh and challenging and fosters loyalty as employees see long-term potential. For example, I explored five different roles in two countries during an 11-year tenure before I became an entrepreneur! - Ksh*tij Jain, Joveo
8. Communicate Available Internal Opportunities
Make it easy to know what opportunities are available internally. Employees often first think to look outside of the company rather than exploring internal openings, even if they like the culture. In a QuestionPro study of 10,000 workers across the U.S., a third of workers said they were not sure where to look for opportunities inside their organization if they were interested in changing jobs. - Sanja Licina, QuestionPro
9. Build Dream Teams From Within
Recruiting for exciting new projects? Rethink the standard play—that is, looking outside the organization. The business press might like hearing you’re “launching a nationwide search” for some extraordinary talent, but current staff thinks: What about us? Build dream teams from within, elevating key competencies and relevant aspirations, while saving costs and discouraging the itch to roam. - Graham Glass, CYPHER Learning
10. Cultivate A Healthy Workplace Culture
Long-term retention relies on a healthy workplace culture. Empathy is highly valued in today’s workplaces, and it comes in many different forms and behaviors: benefits, flexibility, communication, leadership and much more. Baking empathy into your greater workplace strategy can help drive improved satisfaction, resulting in better retention. - Marcy Klipfel, Businessolver
11. Give Employees Time To Recharge
One strategy to help improve employee retention is to allow employees to take time off to recharge. This can range from a few days to several months for a sabbatical. Not only will this allow the employee to reset, but it also shows that the company cares about them and understands the impact of taking time for their personal well-being. It potentially could be a win-win for all! - Janet Vardeman, Avanade
12. Provide Career Development Opportunities
Offering continuous professional development and career advancement opportunities can significantly boost employee retention and job enthusiasm as it enables staff to grow their skills and progress in their careers, keeping their roles challenging and rewarding. - CJ Eason, JobFairGiant.com
13. Make One-On-Ones An Open Discussion
I find it’s important to make one-on-ones a place where employees can consistently voice their setbacks and brainstorm creative solutions with their manager—solutions that seem unintuitive or like “a reach” for the company to make happen. From those conversations, employees feel encouraged to explore new (or even make up) responsibilities or dreams within the organization. - Ursula Mead, InHerSight
14. Invest In Quality Leadership
It has been long said that employees don't leave companies, they leave their managers, so investing in leadership development at all levels will have a direct impact on long-term retention rates. Outside of standardizing your organization's leadership culture through training, investing in your leaders will also foster behaviors and values that future leaders of the company will adopt and emulate. - Dr. Timothy J. Giardino
15. Ensure Cultural Alignment In The Hiring Process
Long-term employee retention starts long before a candidate is hired for a role. If your business is prioritizing retention, you should build this objective into your hiring strategy. Job hopping has become more common, but there are still plenty of people ready to commit. You need to attract these people. One way is to ensure a strong cultural alignment in your interview process. - Alex Gillespie, Gillespie Manners
16. Sustain A Human-Centric Workplace Culture
Create and sustain a human-centric culture that models the "You are a person first and an employee second" philosophy. Starting at the top, hold all leaders and managers accountable for respecting differences, embracing inclusion, practicing well-being and creating flexible work expectations and practices. Employees value a healthy work environment and leadership trust and will stay where both prevail. - Laci Loew
17. Take Care Of Your People
If employers don't show loyalty to employees, employees will not show loyalty to the employer. If turnover is a concern, consider better benefits, flexible work schedules, market-rate compensation, career opportunities, learning and development programs and an empowerment culture. Hire conservatively and avoid layoffs to reduce uncertainty. Take care of your people, and they'll take care of you! - Tracy Cote, StockX
18. Hire For Growth Potential
Your retention strategy and efforts start at the "Hello!" Ditch the one-size-fits-all recruiting. During the interview process, assess not just skills, but cultural fit, passion alignment and long-term career aspirations. Hire for growth potential, not just current needs. Engaged employees, nurtured from the start, become your most valuable asset, boosting loyalty and reducing costly turnover. - Michael D. Brown, Global Recruiters of Buckhead
