Introduction
There are many ways that can be used to retain employees. Compensating employees handsomely has long been viewed as one of the best ways of retaining employees.
Apart from good salary, research has shown that there are other ways which are equally significant in retaining employees. Some of these methods are “challenging and a meaningful work, opportunities to learn and grow, the sense of being part of a group, a good boss, and meeting individual needs” (kaye & Jordan-Evans, 2003, p. 291).
These methods basically aim at making the workplace environment a place that employees value and admire. This essay will discuss the methods which can make the workplace a place significance and value to the employee and thus make them to prefer working at their current organization as opposed to working elsewhere.
The Kind of Work Employees Do
It has been shown that employees value work that satisfies them. Apart from looking for monetary gain, most employees will prefer challenging work to work which is easy to handle.
Demanding work tests the limits of an employee and this has been shown to be what most employees prefer especially for those in the technical fields (kaye & Jordan-Evans, 2003).
Challenging work make a great contribution to the organization one is working for. There is usually a great sense of satisfaction which comes with making significant contribution to an organization one is working for.
Making significant contribution in a place of work is quite encouraging and helps to connect employees to their work. It enhances the pleasure derived from working. In such kind of an environment, productivity is usually high and this makes what one does enjoyable.
The overall benefit of working in an environment that is challenging and one that enables employees to produce results is that employees are less likely to move out (kaye & Jordan-Evans, 2003).
Learning and Growing in a Workplace
Career growth is a great reason that can keep employees in their current jobs. Every person seeks to develop in his or her career. Giving an allowance for career development in a workplace therefore acts as a great motivation for an employee to maintain his current work and employer.
Career development makes it possible for an employee to be up to date with emerging issues in his or her career (kaye & Jordan-Evans, 2003).
Career growth of employees can be enhanced by the provisional of formal training. Training of employees helps them to be at par with changes in their careers and this will ensure that they uphold the recommended practices at the workplace.
Apart from formal training, coaching and provision of mentorship sessions equally helps to shape one’s career in the right direction. Employers should encourage employees to join professional networks.
These networks are important as they help one to develop in his or her career as there is sharing among professionals in the same field (kaye & Jordan-Evans, 2003).
The Sense of Belonging
Working in an organization which fosters a sense of belonging is an encouraging factor. A sense of belonging enables one to feel at home in the work place. A workplace which fosters a sense of belonging among the employees creates a home like environment whereby employees feel being part of a big family.
This sense of unity creates cohesion among employees and makes working in such a workplace irresistible. With such kind of a workplace, it is hard for employees to want to switch organizations.
There are many ways that employers can create a sense of belonging in a workplace the best being creating forums where employees can get to know each other more. Such forums may include monthly dinners and end of either fiscal year or calendar year parties (Jackson, 2012).
Good Bosses
Managers and supervisors especially those to whom employees report directly should be good in the eyes of their employees.
The following behaviors when displayed by managers and supervisors have been shown to put off employees: “Rudeness, impatience, arrogance, intimidation, yelling, being condescending or demeaning, belittling or embarrassing people, swearing, telling lies, sexual harassment, using inappropriate humor, and demonstrating sexism or racism” (kaye & Jordan-Evans, 2003, p. 294).
Bosses have an obligation to ensure that their relationship with their juniors is one which fosters understanding. A bad boss will make the workplace a stressful place; nobody wants to be stressed and therefore employees may choose to find alternative opportunities to work elsewhere.
Even if employees do not opt to move out due to bad bosses, the cold relationship between the employees and the boss will affect the productivity of the employees (kaye & Jordan-Evans, 2003).
Good bosses recognize good work accomplished by their employees and do not take credit for what others have done. Recognition can be made through a word of mouth or a token given through platforms such as employee of the month, the most hardworking employee among other platforms (Shenkel & Gardner, 2004).
Meeting Individual Needs
An organization whose employees are of different age groups requires different approaches to retain the employees. It has been noted that Generation-Y employees would prefer workplaces which give them a wide range of exposure to their career fields.
For the case of Generation-X workers, mentoring programs and programs which advance their careers would be most attractive.
Lastly, the baby boomers would prefer programs which aim at increasing their retirement benefits, for instance, reworking their payment to allow for lower tax deductions (Gettler, 2008).
There are other ways through which companies can necessitate the extension of careers. One such can be through arranging for employees to participate in charity work. Employees can also be given the opportunity to work on special project boards.
Making employees aware of technical conferences and allowing them to attend such forums also is quite motivating. Technical conferences help to update employees on advances made in their career fields (Gettler, 2008).
Conclusion
Retaining employees goes beyond handsome compensation in form of big salaries. Apart from a good salary, employees have other needs which need satisfaction. Bosses have an obligation to create an environment that enables employees to be comfortable and advance their careers.
It has been shown that employees prefer challenging work which demands the skills they have acquired. Workplaces which provide a means of advancing one’s career have also been pointed out as being attractive to employees.
A workplace which creates a sense of belonging is also preferable as it creates unity and cohesion among employees. Bosses have been shown to also play a major role in attracting employees to a workplace. Understanding and rational bosses work well with employees.
Bad bosses can be a source of stress to employees and this can easily make employees seek employment elsewhere. Workplaces should be flexible enough to meet some of the individual needs of employees.
References
Gettler, L. (2008). How to retain staff – without breaking the bank. Smart Company. Web.
Jackson, N. (2012). 5 ways to reward employees when raises aren’t an option. The Entrepreneur. Web.
Kaye, B & Jordan-Evans, S. (2003). How to retain high-performance employees. Sierra Health. Web.
Shenkel, R & Gardner, C. (2004). The most effective strategies won’t cost you a dime. Family Practice Management. Web.