How to retain your most talented employees

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The talent pool is more like an ocean these days. There are tons of talented professionals out there, and there’s more supply than demand. Not all talent is great talent either, so recruiting and holding on to your top, most talented employees is essential for organisational success.

How to do this, you’re wondering? I’ve got some great suggestions for you to ensure you keep your most talented employees happy.

Workplace culture

Many adults spend most of their time at their workplace. For people working in an office setting, it is so important to make them feel welcome and at home every single day. If possible, having an open floor plan is a great way for people to feel like there is fluency and transparency between coworkers and throughout departments. If you’re in a traditional office with cubicles, creating workstations with personal or long, bar length desks is a way to foster team engagement and team work. Employee activities at work or after work will boost employee morale, and show that the company cares about wellbeing and fun, not only work responsibilities.

Team leaders, middle and top management should listen to the members of their teams and embrace their ideas. Hosting a hack day is an innovative way to brainstorm and let everyone have a say in what they think will benefit the organisation. It is also important for management to be understanding of personal situations, because life happens sometimes – whether it’s traffic or an emergency.

Growth opportunity

Investing in an employee is one of the best ways to show that you value their contributions to the organisation. There are multiple ways to invest in your top talent, such as promoting and providing education opportunities, sending them on a trip to clear their minds which will in turn enhance their productivity at work, and working on an honour system that will establish trust and embrace autonomous responsibility.

Polishing the glass door and breaking the glass ceiling gives employees confidence in their own careers and growth. Provide growth opportunities through working with employees to establish career goals, create a career plan, and have monthly status meetings where you can provide feedback and have open conversations to show your top talent that you are investing in their professional advancement. Ongoing training related to employees’ jobs and organisational changes should be continuous and fun. Get your top employees excited about training by creating online training videos.

Perks

As mentioned above, sending employees on a trip once they reach their goals also serves as an awesome perk for employees. They’ll never stop talking about it and will work hard for the chance to go on another adventure. Gamify the workplace by hosting contests among teams or between departments for great prizes like trips, gift cards, free lunch, a day off, or pre-purchased items to get employees excited, boost morale, and get the competitive mindset rolling.

Maybe you could host a video challenge after instructing employee training - who can create the best training video? Lastly, financial bonuses are always welcomed.

Flexibility

Flexible schedules are of increased importance in the digital work age, especially among millennials. Providing opportunities for remote work and a distributed workforce is essential. Today’s workforce seeks quality of life and flexibility through working from home or from anywhere with a stable Internet connection. If possible, a flex time schedule is also preferred – instead of working 9am to 5pm, employees can work 8am to 4pm or 10am-7pm if business allows.

Offering employees the chance to work on a holiday in order to take an extra vacation day when it is convenient will make them very happy!

Praise

Always let your employees know that you appreciate them, and notice the strides they take and goals they accomplish by rewarding their good work. Providing awards to people who meet a goal shows that you’re noticing the hard work they do every day. Hosting an annual awards dinner or show gets employees excited. Putting up pictures of awarded employees gives them public recognition and makes them feel like an asset to your company.

Now, all you need to do is suggest, implement, and enforce these tips throughout your organisation. Top employees will be glad you did!

Author: Emily Cleary

Emily Cleary is a writer, musician, and content marketer with a background in higher education teaching, writing tutoring, and marketing. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Sociology and studied business in college. Emily writes various types of content online about software and technology, education and learning, training, leadership, and all other aspects of business. You can contact her via LinkedIn.

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