We have had the good fortune of having low turnover during the six years we have been in business – Everon turned 6 in April.While there are many important factors in attracting and retaining good employees such as selling them on the vision of the company, creating clear development paths, and helping them understand the business through clear communication. In my mind the one that stand out above all others is to make your employees feel like they are the most important person in the world by taking an interest in their personal lives.
What are their dreams and desires and how are you and the business going to help them get there? That is the question you should ask yourself and help them understand beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I am not saying you or the business has to go out and buy your top guy a house because his dream is to buy a house. What I am saying is that you need to know your top performers dreams and desires so that you can help them achieve them. For the employee looking to buy a house perhaps it is an offline conversation about your home buying experience, a referral to a good realtor, or a rundown of the process and the buyer’s remorse that inevitably comes the day after closing.
If you don’t know anything about buying a house maybe you put them in touch with a friend who can share their experiences.
Ultimately knowing these goals and desires and showing that you are supporting them in any small way possible will go further than any amount of salary, expense accounts, or perks. You will see true loyalty grow, a deep appreciation and caring for the company, and best of all you will make some friends for life regardless of how long they are in your employ.
I can tell you that I have top performers on my team that want to run restaurants, be realtors, or own their own business and it is my job to help them gain the skill sets necessary to achieve these goals while they care for and help grow my company.
When was the last time you sat with your people and asked about their future goals and dreams?
Josh
