Editor’s note: This article was first published in July 2015. The mention of Twitter offering unlimited vacation reflects that time; the company, now X, and its policies have changed.
Every company has its star employees: the ones who stick with the business through thick and thin, who arrive early and stay late, and who even work on their day off when needed. You might think these employees are fully committed to the company, but if they aren’t treated properly they can walk out the door and never come back. Good things need looking after.
Below, following Sujan Patel’s advice, are some of the reasons your best employees might leave your company to look for work elsewhere. Consider them carefully, and if there’s any chance your top people are experiencing any of them, nip it in the bud before you lose them.
See also: 8 ways to kill your employees’ motivation
1. Unfair pay
Most people are willing to put in substantial effort if they’re offered fair compensation in return. Your best employees may back your business dreams and buy into what you’re selling, but in the end it all comes down to money. Find a way to pay your workers what they’re really worth to your company. Nobody wants to learn new systems, develop new methods and take on extra responsibilities only to get a measly 1% raise at the end of the year.
If an employee is constantly improving your business, they deserve to be rewarded for it. If you’re reluctant to pay them a higher salary or give them some other benefit, ask yourself what it could cost you if this employee quits. Raising someone’s pay for better performance is almost always cheaper than going through the process of hiring and training a new worker.
And remember: “If you pay peanuts, don’t complain when you find yourself surrounded by monkeys.”
2. Poor work-life balance
Money is good, but it can’t replace a day off or time with family, especially for employees with children. Most employees understand that overtime is sometimes necessary for a big project, but once the project is finished, let your employees recharge their batteries. Giving them an extra day off or offering more holiday time are things employees will appreciate.
It’s not about following in the footsteps of companies like Twitter, which offer employees unlimited vacation, but you can offer something small that shows you understand your employees’ need to balance work and family life.
3. Lack of recognition for achievements
Employees give you their time and energy every day by working for you. But in the long run, they want to know that they matter more than a simple exchange of time for money. Some companies offer staff more holiday time or paid vacations, while others let employees earn all-expenses-paid trips for their achievements. Other employees are simply happy to be thanked for a job well done.
See also: 9 simple yet extraordinary things to say to people at work every day
4. A negative work environment
No matter how well the company pays or what dream project is under way, many employees will abandon ship if the atmosphere is more like a morgue or a fight club than a professional office.
Managers need to be smart enough to see the benefits of fostering a positive work environment. Perhaps that just means changing the lighting, buying more attractive furniture for personal workspaces or putting on some upbeat music. Often it’s simply a matter of keeping gossip out of the office and not letting discord spread. Whatever it takes to kill the monotony and let the sunshine in.
It goes without saying that rotten apples should be removed quickly; don’t let one toxic person ruin the atmosphere.
See also: 7 types of toxic people who shouldn’t stay at your company a minute longer than necessary
5. Keeping people in the dark
Passing every trivial piece of information on to every single employee is certainly not a good idea. Some conversations and decisions are best kept behind closed doors until the details are ironed out.
That said, an open-door policy should work both ways. Let your employees know about significant changes and developments as soon as possible. Don’t let the people on the lower rungs of the organisation chart feel as if they’re the last to find out what’s going on in the company. Make an effort to tell everyone in the company the news from the boardroom as soon as you can.
6. Not promoting from within
One of the worst things that can happen to an employee is to start a job, work very hard, learn the systems and procedures, and then watch someone else get hired overnight to take the position they’ve been working towards from the start.
Sometimes you do need to look outside to find the right talent, but that’s less often the case than people think. Those who’ve been with the company for a while may lack some specific skill, but they also have a loyalty to and an understanding of the company culture that a newcomer doesn’t.
By giving your experienced employees the chance to move up, you not only take them to greater heights within the company but also motivate other employees to work hard and keep developing as professionals.
Avoiding the six mistakes above will do wonders for office morale and employee retention, especially among your top performers, who are the ones you should prioritise keeping if you want to build a strong, solid and lasting company.
Further reading
- 3 things you may be getting wrong at work that nobody dares tell you
- 6 signs you should fire an employee
- 9 types of people who will destroy your business
Featured image: Robert Jenssen, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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