5 Tips to Help You Avoid Losing Good Talent
Most employees want to feel like they belong. They want to know they are appreciated, understood, and valued. It’s easy to overlook these things in the daily grind and pressure to meet deadlines – especially in technical roles.
I once had an employee who wanted to start out each morning by sitting in my office to give me an update on his family and his latest home project. At first, I was annoyed (after all, I had a lot of work to do), and I’m certain my body language showed it.
However, I soon realized this was an important part of my job. Having these short morning conversations got his day off to a good start and allowed me to get to know him better. Not only that, because I listened, he knew that I cared.
Taking time to get to know your employees can go a long way in helping them to feel valued. And feeling valued plays a significant role in retention and engagement.
Here are some tips on how to connect with your employees in a meaningful way.
1. Keep One-On-One Meetings
Schedule and keep regular one-on-one meetings. This is a must. Cancelling your one-on-one meetings with employees can give them the impression they are not important. The length and frequency of the meeting can vary, but sticking to a regular schedule shows an employee you care about them.
2. Make Room for Them to Talk
The topics of one-on-one meetings are important. If you only spend time talking about your agenda, you’ve missed an opportunity. Be sure to allow time for your employee to talk about what is on their mind.
3. Get to Know Them
Connect about something outside of work. This maybe be an interest in their hobby, an update on their family or just a simple, “What do you have planned for the weekend.” Knowing a bit about their personal life shows you care about them as a person, not just as an employee.
4. Informally Check-In
Get to know your employees by informally dropping by for a pulse check (virtually or in person). Good pulse checks contain genuine curiosity and open-ended questions. It is important to get a regular sense for how employees are doing. Waiting for formal reviews to find out how a person is feeling about their work can be too late.
Recently, a tech executive was expressing to me his disappointment in the resignation of one of his best employees. He discovered too late that the employee had been struggling with concerns the leader could have easily addressed had he known about them. By the time the person resigned, their mind was made up.
5. Understand What Motivates Them
What do your employees love to do at work? What do they want to do more of? And what is their long-term career vision? Knowing these things helps you to leverage their strengths, give them engaging stretch-assignments and develop them beyond their current role.
Getting to know your people personally and professionally shows you are a leader who cares. It can uncover hidden issues and helps your employees feel like they are part of an organization where they are valued.
And ultimately, that leads to better engagement and retention.
If you’d like to learn more about how I help technical leaders retain their talent and grow their careers, click here to schedule a Leadership Strategy Call.