Are You Retaining Your Key Players?

It is estimated that there are over 10,000 job search websites. Is one of your key employees searching right now?

There are quite a few triggers that might lead your key players to think about leaving including: Downsizing/Reorganization, Reduction in Stock Price, Merger/Acquisition, Industry Downturn, etc. Are any of these factors true for your organization right now? How easy would it be to replace a key player?

The Bad News: Losing a high performer is disruptive and costly in terms of productivity, business disruption and customer service. Your key players may even take other good employees and customers with them to their new companies. The Good News: Your front line managers are your secret weapon in combating turnover. Team members are frequently more committed to their organization because of the actions taken by their manager to build a strong professional relationship.

Here are a few tips for improving retention in your organization:

• Identify Early Warning Signs – Signs may include: drop in productivity, loss of enthusiasm, withdrawal from the team, increase in time off, etc. Managers who know their employees well will be able to identify changes in behavior that may indicate a key player is looking outside of the company and take action early enough to prevent a key player from leaving.
• Recognize and Celebrate Success – People enjoy having a sense of achievement and feeling like a winner. Managers have the ability to create a climate where success breeds success and people feel recognized for their individual and team accomplishments in customized targeted ways that fit their preferences.
• Advancement and Development – People may leave an organization if they don’t clearly see what’s next for them. They may also leave if they like their current position but don’t feel they are growing in it. Managers can learn the individual goals for each of their key team members and assist in their achievement by encouraging enrollment in training programs, helping them market themselves internally, offering challenging assignments, etc..

The 8-Hour Retaining Winning Talent workshop is an interactive and effective seminar that can be delivered to your management team or delivered yourself with the purchase of a facilitator kit and participant workbooks.