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How to Keep Your Best Employees

Written by: Todd Linaman

Article Overview: During a recent executive coaching session the topic of employee turnover came up. My client shared what has been an ongoing problem in his company: losing star performers. Recognizing the tremendous expense associated with recruiting, hiring and training as well as losses in production and efficiency, he wanted to know what his company could do to keep their best people.

How to Keep Your Best Employees

During a recent executive coaching session the topic of employee turnover came up. My client shared what has been an ongoing problem in his company: losing star performers. Recognizing the tremendous expense associated with recruiting, hiring and training as well as losses in production and efficiency, he wanted to know what his company could do to keep their best people. In addition to the obvious factors of competitive benefits and salaries, here are some of the key strategies to help you retain your best employees:

1. Regularly acknowledge their accomplishments and contributions.

2. Make sure they stay positively challenged and stretched.

3. Frequently revisit your vision and mission with genuine enthusiasm and passion.

4. Groom them for greater responsibility.

5. Give them regular feedback along with clear suggestions for improvement.

6. Empower them and then stay out of their way. When Lincoln appointed General Ulysses S. Grant as commander of the Union armies in 1864, he sent him this message: "I neither ask nor desire to know anything of your plans. Take the responsibility and act, and call on me for assistance."

7. Reward them. Money isn't the most important motivating factor, but don't pay your best employees what the average employee is making.

8. Give them quality resources to do the job.

9. Provide an energized and friendly work environment.

10. Don't overload them! People are designed to wear out not burn out.

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  4 Ways To Get Employees Excited About Their Work
  What have I learned in 6 months of management? Part 1

Article Tags: 1864, efficiency, employee turnover, executive coaching, general ulysses s grant, genuine enthusiasm, job, lincoln, losses, money, passion 4, quality resources, salaries, star performers, ulysses s grant, union armies, work environment



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