One thing we often hear from the small business leaders we work with is how challenging it is to retain good employees. This is especially true in competitive job markets where skilled workers may encounter new job opportunities at every turn. Keeping employees around really boils down to one thing; having great leaders. According to research by Gallup, managers account for up to 70% variance in employee engagement. It is often said that employees don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.

Leaders in small business often have so much on their plates, they have little time to improve their leadership skills. Providing little bits of information leaders can immediately use can be incredibly helpful.

A recent article in Inc. shares seven things employees need in order to stick around. Share these with the leaders in your organization to help them better understand their teams.

  1. Safety– Employees need to feel secure in their job. This means understanding what is expected of them. Leaders should ask employees about their future goals and help develop them along their career path.
  2. Recognition– We all like to hear when we are doing a good job. Working hard without anyone noticing is discouraging. Leaders should get into the habit of praising employees often. Check out our Employee Recognition Toolkit for ideas.
  3. Understanding– Employees want to know that their manager hears and understands them. They want to be able to come to their leaders with concerns and not be brushed off. The best leaders listen and validate the thoughts, concerns and feelings of their employees.
  4. Purpose– Everyone wants to feel like they are part of something bigger and better than just their individual work. Help employees discover how their work impacts the goals of the organization. Then help them see how the organization has a positive impact on your customers and your community.
  5. Communication– Employees want to feel like they are in the know. They don’t want to be in the dark about what is going on in the organization. Open communication and transparency increases the trust your employees have in your leaders. It also helps them feel safe and secure in their job.
  6. Value– Employees want to feel like they matter not only to the organizational as whole but to the leaders as well. Encourage leaders to really get to know their employees. Understand what is important to them and what motivates them.
  7. Love– This may seem a bit out of place for the work environment, but the truth is employees spend a large portion of their lives at work. They need to develop positive relationships in the workplace, including relationships with their supervisors. Feeling like someone at work cares about you drives employees to show up and perform at a high level each and every day.

Improving employee engagement and retention doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. Helping your leaders understand these seven things that drive employee engagement and loyalty will immediately help get your company on track with retention.

Looking for more ideas? Contact our HR experts at 1-800-748-5102 or humanresources@helpside.com