If you have ever had excellent team members working with you then you know what a lot it can be if you lose them. During the pandemic, there was a huge focus on employee retention because it was during this time that people realized that they didn’t have to stay with businesses who didn’t put them first. Businesses made big changes and became more accessible for working from home, and many businesses have kept these changes in place because they know that they’re going to have to continue this if they want to keep the best talent these days. People have a taste for a work life balance and they are not willing to give it up for anything else, and nor should they.
As a business leader you need to know exactly what it means to lose your top talent. During the pandemic you may have qualified for the employee retention tax credit and if you did, then well done you for retaining your employees during a time of crisis. But if you try to revert back to old processes and procedures that happened pre-pandemic, you might find that those same employees will be jumping ship sooner than you think. So, it can help you to know if your best employees are considering moving on, because if you can spot the signs you’re going to be able to stop them from doing it. Let’s take a look at those sides below.
- How are you treating them? If you look at the way you currently treat your employees, you should be able to do that without issue and without feeling guilty or upset about your own behavior. Being a business leader is not easy, but if you’re taking that out on your employees and they feel like they’re walking on eggshells just working for you, then it’s a good sign that they are ready to jump ship and go elsewhere. Employers have to remember that they are spending a lot of time with their employees through the day, there are always jobs available and in a candidate tight market you’re going to find your employees and not be short of offers. Consider the way that you treat your employees in how you can tell whether or not they are ready to stay or go.
- Observe habits and patterns. Humans are creatures of habit, and we follow the same routines with the same sayings and we hang around with the same people. If you pay close attention to your employees routines, you will notice very quickly if something changes. If you are noticing the sales performances suddenly plummeting or you notice that your employees are suddenly calling in sick more often, then it might be time to check whether or not they are looking to move on. Your observance here is going to save your business if you are looking to keep hold of your best.
- They will hint to you. Unhappy employees are not strangers to telling their employers that they are not happy. They will leave behind the string of hints and tips that they are going to leave you, from having sick days and appointments in the middle of the day which are actually interviewed, to setting the scene and then they are unhappy with their coworkers. If they are confiding in coworkers about their lack of happiness and you notice a shift in the office, then you need to pay attention.
- Keep it to your clients. What is the sales volume looking like from your best clients? If it starts dropping you might be dealing with an employee who’s scooping out your customers to go elsewhere. It’s quite rare for this to happen because happy employees are often pretty loyal, but you need to keep up to date with what’s happening with your clients anyway.
- You’ve just stopped asking. A good sign that your employees already leave you is actually one thing that could be your fault. If you are not asking them whether or not they are happy, then they are more likely to want to leave you. You need to keep up with people and keep communicating with people to know whether or not they’re happy. Without doing this you will find that you will lose people.
Maintaining your employee retention is so important if you want your business to maintain its success. Don’t shy away from looking after your employees because all it does is pull away from your business and make you look less credible as a success.