You pride yourself on being a standup, sought after, respectable, reputable company. But, somehow or another, you tend to have a high turnover rate, when it comes to retaining your employees; and not just any employees–your best ones.
You wonder time and time again why these employees are opting out of your organization, even when you possess so many of the right qualities. The answer may be tough to receive, but here goes: they are just not that into you.
Here’s why:
1. You’re Focused More on You Than Them
A happy employee is a loyal employee. If you neglect to cater to, or even merely acknowledge your employees’ wants, needs, or happiness, they will, in turn, neglect to acknowledge and cater to your business.
Treating others the way you’d like to be treated isn’t just a preschool mantra, it’s a way of life–that includes the workplace. Yes, at the end of the day, in business, Â it all boils down to the bottom-line–finances. However, don’t let seeing the bottom-line be an excuse to turn a blind-eye to your employees. Without them, there are no lines at all.
2. You’re Rigid Without Reason
Try transparency. If most of your company’s vetoes boil down to nothing other than, “We just don’t want to,†your employees will eventually lose respect for your reasoning.
Try letting employees know the method to your madness. Transparency helps to build trust, loyalty, and empathy between employers and employees. We’re often the most loyal to those who are the most open and honest.
3. Blatant Favoritism
If your stellar workers continue to notice that you play favorites regardless of work ethic, productivity, output, etc., they will be less-motivated to do great work for the company, because what’s the use? Merit-based rewards motivate, favor-based rewards deteriorate. Showing that hard work, tenacity, and excelling are qualities that your company acknowledges only breeds more of that behavior.
4. Adapt or Get Left Behind
What you’ve been doing for however many years is fine, but do the methods, strategies, lines of thinking still work now, given the current work climate? Being unable to flexibly adapt is the quickest way to become unappealing, especially when it is a blatantly evident that change is precisely what your company needs.
5. Quiet Praise, Loud Rage
If everyone on the team and beyond always knows when something is going wrong with a teammate, but rarely catches wind of when something has gone right–something is terribly wrong. Leading with fear and intimidation can only last for so long before someone is fed up.
Keep in mind that people love to be congratulated and tend to work toward a “congratulations,” when they know the option is available. Leading with fear and a pointed finger is a sure-fire way to have your employees decide that they no longer wish to follow your leadership.
6. There Is No Fun
With workers often spending more quality time at work than they do at home, the last thing they need is to be bored and unhappy during that time. Everyone wants to be where the fun is–everyone. If your working environment is heavy, solemn, defeated, or uninspired, imagine how the work must be.
As an employer, don’t turn your nose up to turning up the excitement. When work is play, there is more room and desire for creativity, innovation, and pressing boundaries.
7. You Can’t See the Forest for the Trees
Sometimes the bigger picture evades you. Employees notice when seemingly meaningless details are more focused on than bigger picture missions, and this can be hardening. If you’re complaining about Peter, but Paul is the issue on everyone else’s mind, you’re seen as out of touch, inconsiderate, unbothered, and careless. How long are the best expected to stick around for that?
If you’re doing any or all of the above, yet asking why you’re best employees leave–stop asking. The answer is right there in your mirror.
Safon Floyd is the digital editor at Black Enterprise. Follow her on Twitter @accordingtofon.