Creating a work environment and atmosphere in which employees' contributions are valued and their identification with the company is encouraged.
Before employees can really contribute anything to the company, a lot of time, money and effort goes into the process – it is obvious that companies want to retain their employees as long as possible. The magic word is “employee retention”, and the big question behind it is: How can employees be retained so that they are satisfied in their workplace for a long time? Let’s take a closer look!
Retaining good executives is cheaper than finding and training new ones. In recent years in particular, the shortage of skilled workers has worsened again, and the COVID-19 pandemic has also brought even more focus on employee retention measures. More and more people want fulfilling work that gives them enough freedom, and trainees also take a very close look at what a new job has to offer them. Both large and small companies have long been thinking about how they can avoid fluctuation and instead inspire their employees and keep them in the long term.
Typical employee retention measures that everyone knows are the “always full fruit basket and free drinks such as water and coffee”. However, this is no longer enough to really create loyalty amongst employees – and is also far too short-sighted in terms of the objective. Effective employee retention measures can do a whole lot more than just keep the team happy during the short breather between two meetings. For example, you can:
Quite obviously, you won’t be able to achieve that with just the fruit basket. What are meaningful types of employee retention ?
There are several expert models of staff retention. One of these is the “4 Levels of Employee Retention” model. It is based on the fact that employees are loyal to a company on at least one, but possibly also on more than one, of four levels. A look at the four levels offers initial ideas for employee retention:
Beyond these levels, there is another type of employee retention: forced. In this type of bond there are people who see no alternative to their job. It goes without saying that motivation and willingness to perform suffer as a result, and that this is often followed by resignation and illness – this is also not very satisfactory for employers. You are certainly not aiming for this form of employee retention. But how can the many possible measures that you can use to achieve better results be implemented?
Another model that deals with the tools of employee retention is the so-called 6-pillar model. Before we get too theoretical, let’s take a detailed look at how these 6 pillars of employee retention work in practice in everyday business.
The first pillar aims to ensure that employees enjoy coming to work and feel comfortable in their workplace. An attractive working environment and a reliable organization are good measures for staff retention in this area. Here are some practical examples:
In this topic, everything revolves around ensuring that there is a good balance between stress and relaxation, between work and leisure time, and that employees stay healthy as a result. It is about physical as well as mental and emotional health. Practical ideas for employee retention include:
People want to develop – and measures for employee retention give them the opportunity to do so. Anyone who feels they are making progress in the company and have a future, will stay. These measures will help:
The so-called employer branding and employee loyalty have nothing to do with each other? Not even close! In fact, employee loyalty begins long before the employee sets foot in the company – namely with employer marketing. Not only does this make it easier for you to find new employees, but it also means that existing employees are proud of their jobs and are happy to stay. Possible measures in the field of employer branding are:
A lively, appreciative corporate culture means that employees are happy to identify with the company. They see themselves as part of a larger whole, find meaning in their work and are therefore more committed to their tasks and to working with colleagues. You can achieve employee loyalty in this area with the following measures:
This form of employee retention is easy to grasp. This is about – mostly financial – advantages that employees have thanks to their contribution to the company. You probably already know most of them, but here are some inspirations:
You now have an overview of many possible measures for employee retention – but where do you start? Tip: The big goals can also be achieved step by step, and intermediate goals are easier to achieve. They should also be specific and verifiable.
For example, you could replace a goal like “Employees are happier” with: “Three months after launching the digital health app, employees say they are 15% happier in the monthly survey.” This also means that regular employee satisfaction surveys are essential – only they show whether the respective measure has really changed something or is just a waste of money.
You need support? Then try Humanoo! In addition to over 3,000 personalized coaching programs, you will also find motivating challenges, easy-to-use tools for surveys and regular reports so that you always have an overview of the effects of your employee retention measures. Find out here how Humanoo works!
Schedule a meeting with us to discuss your needs and we will provide a demo tailored to your health & wellness goals.