Are you a « normal » or a « super » Employer?

~~The other day we had a heated debate with friends on a social network about what makes people leave their jobs for more attractive employers. People were almost unanimous that money was the only determining factor in an employee’s decision to leave his job. My opinion was that pay is undoubtedly a key element of someone’s satisfaction at work but not only.

There are strategies aiming at ensuring that key people stay with the organization and reducing levels of employee turnover. These are called retention strategies. They are based on an analysis of why people stay and why they leave, made through attitude surveys at regular intervals. Another common practice is the so-called ‘exit interviews’ that may provide some information on why people leave. However this practice is not very reliable because people rarely give the full reasons why they are leaving. So what are the main reasons for resignations and turnover and what actions could be considered to retain key people?

The first and probably most important reason why people are tempted to leave for “greener” pastures is obviously pay. Problems often arise because of uncompetitive, inequitable or unfair pay systems. That is why it is highly recommended, among others, to regularly review pay levels on the basis of market surveys, to make job evaluations to ensure grading decisions are equitable, to create and review fair performance-related pay schemes and link them to reward, etc. All these actions should be tailored to individual requirements and preference and should involve employees in order to gain their engagement.

Performance is the other reason. Employees will not be motivated if they don’t know clearly what their responsibilities or performance standards are, if they don’t receive any feedback on how well they are doing, or if they feel that their performance assessments are unfair. It is therefore recommended to express performance requirements in terms of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound) objectives. Employers should also get employees and managers to agree on those objectives and what is required to achieve them, encourage managers to praise employees for good performance but also get them to provide regular/timely, informative and easily interpreted feedback, train managers in performance review techniques, brief employees on how the performance management system works and obtain feedback from them on how it has been applied.

Resignations and turnover can also result from poor learning and development policies. If people are not given opportunities for learning and development, or if they feel that they are expected to deliver results that they can reasonably not without proper training. If new employees are not given adequate training when they join the organization they can go through an ‘induction crisis.’ It is very important to develop and introduce L&D programmes that give employees the competence and confidence to achieve expected performance standards, help them to acquire new skills and competencies and enhance the existing ones, and of course increase employability, inside and outside the organization.

The other reason is job design. Dissatisfaction can occur if jobs are unrewarding in themselves. As mentioned by Armstrong (2011:230), jobs should be designed to maximize skill variety, task significance, autonomy and feedback, and they should provide opportunities for learning and growth.

Another major cause of turnover is dissatisfaction with career development. It has been very popular to recognize that to develop their careers people need to move on, and there is little their employers can do about it, especially in organizations where promotion prospects may be limited. There are individuals who acquire a ‘portfolio’ of skills and may consciously change direction several times during their careers. And employers should welcome this tendency of the today’s job markets. However, organizations still can work on maintaining a stable core workforce by providing employees with wider experience, identifying potential, encouraging internal promotion with more equitable procedures, and providing advice and guidance on career paths.

Commitment is another factor. It is very difficult for organizations to get their people committed if they don’t understand the organization’s mission, values and strategies; or if they are not asked to contribute their ideas on improving work systems; or if their views at work are not taken into account. Actions to be taken here should ensure the communication systems are in place and allow employees to contribute to any decisions regarding the organization and job changes.

Lack of group cohesion can make employees feel isolated and unhappy, leading to resignation. It is therefore recommended to set up self-managing or autonomous work groups or project teams and emphasize the importance of teamwork as a key value, rewarding people for working effectively as members of teams and developing teamwork skills.

The other common reason for resignation is conflicts with managers and supervisors. If employees feel that management is not providing the leadership it should or is treating people unfairly, they will tend to leave the organization (their managers, actually!) That is why it is recommended to select managers and team leaders with well-developed leadership skills, especially conflict resolution skills, and train everyone in how to use disciplinary procedures, so that when grievances occur they are dealt with properly.

Last but not least reason is over-marketing while recruiting. Some employers just create unrealistic expectations about career development opportunities, tailored training programmes, increasing employability and interesting work. If these don’t match with reality, it leads directly to dissatisfaction and early resignation. So, during the selection process, employers must use realistic previews and not oversell the organization’s employee development policies.

Succeeding to retain your key employees by the means of one of these actions will make you a “super-employer”. Failing to do so will keep you a normal employer…

Comments

[cleaning companies in dubai]

We all do furthermore offer in your free time maid companies in Dubai. All of our staffs have the ability to handle almost all tasks responsibility and observe after a neat and tidy atmosphere your residence. Currently the adaptable maid companies too. A lot of the customers favor weekly, bi-weekly house cleaning services. We have been offering any flexible schedule for our valued consumers. It’s a headache free and also instant washing services. You'll get a identical day supply.