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What else does it take to KEEP your employees satisfied

Written by: Carlos Morgan

Article Overview: This article is to help managers, supervisors, executives and other hiring managers understand new methodologies on reducing attrition and increasing employee morale.

What else does it take to KEEP your employees satisfied

What else does it take to K.E.E.P your employees satisfied?
"People work for much more than a paycheck."

Having extensive recruiting experience in a fast paced staffing firm (Robert Half International) and corporate call-center environment (Inktel Direct), I have learned that most employees are looking for common elements from the people they work for. People, regardless of position, seek a good "Relationship with their manager", "A positive work environment", and "Praise and recognition". Successfully combine these three elements and implement them effectively and you have created the foundation for a great retention strategy.

It is obvious that these crucial elements have little or nothing to do with compensation. Instead they remind us an important fact: People work for much more than a paycheck. People not only want their jobs to be a source of income but a source of attaining pride, professional development, enjoyment, and acknowledgment of their skills and efforts as well. With this in mind, I would like to introduce to you a retention-boosting method that I came across a few years ago, simply called K.E.E.P.-Kudos, Excite, Empower, Promote. Sounds simple right?

Kudos- Offering kudos to an employee who is meeting or exceeding expectations is a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to recognize their efforts. An employee who is constantly encouraged and continuously feels appreciated is less likely to leave. Just remember that what might be considered as a reward for one employee might not be the same for another. So, make sure to make the rewards meaningful to each individual employee. A few ways to offer kudos may include: Public recognition, an email, a "thank you" or "good job", a note of recognition or any other simple gesture of recognition.

Excite- As managers, we have the ability to set the mood and the tone of the environment that we work in so keep this in mind each and every morning as you are walking in your office. Creating a positive and rewarding corporate culture is essential for generating excitement. Remember that the more people are excited and enjoy coming to work the less likely they are to seek employment elsewhere. Here are some ideas to generate some excitement in your environment: Have a positive attitude, provide your employees with assignments that are achievable yet challenging, frequent praise and recognition, and share the company's successes with your staff so they know their hard work is paying off.

Empower- Trust your employees and give them their space to perform their jobs competently. The more empowered and trusted they feel by you, the less likely they are to leave. Most employees are on the never-ending search for autonomy and the ability to make impacting decision; meet these needs and you will create an undeniable sense of loyalty. Here are a few suggestions for "empowering" your employees: Be open to suggestions and act on them whenever possible, reward smart risks along with result, foster creativity and teamwork, and show confidence in your team's ability to make decisions.


Promote- The key to any successful retention method should be a structured program that provides and nurtures professional growth and development for employees of all levels. If your employees feel that they have hit a "Glass Ceiling" with the company, then the next logical step would be towards the door. So when possible always try to promote from within, help employees develop career plans with the company, set up a mentoring program, help employees achieve their goals.

Happy employees that enjoy coming to work everyday are the key to any successful organization, so remember that creating a positive company culture is mutually beneficial for you and your employees. Many times we assume that our top performers already know they are doing a good job, but don't make that assumption; a small gesture has the ability to go a long way. A simple thank you or a brief email can motivate someone to keep trying their best not only at work but at other things too. Try and take a personal interest in your employees and don't ever take someone's hope from them, because for some-- that is all they have.

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Article Tags: acknowledgment, center environment, corporate call center, email, good job, good relationship, jobs, kudos, paycheck, pride, professional development, public recognition, retention strategy, rewards, robert half international, simple gesture, staffing firm, three elements, work environment



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Re: How do you critique a small business? - There are so many great comments here. One thing that is missing is alignment of the business with the owner's values and the employees' values. We all have values and if there is a disconnect with our personal and business values, the business could be exposed to serious trouble. It might sound like fluffy talk, but I'm actually referring to the bottom line: Money! Consumers will not continue to buy products that don't align with their values, employees will be unhappy (read less productivity and increased sick time and maybe even quit), and the owner will not be fully satisfied either. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Every dollar saved translates into dollars earned. Here's the power of values... there is a certain clothing designer that myself and others I know simply will not support because that person is openly racist. I can tell you I like their stuff, but I will not buy it! I could provide values tests for the potential winners to fill out and make the comparison. The great thing is that whoever fills it out will also be appraised of an area in their business which could be strengthened. That in itself is a huge reward!
Women care about employees - I think women entrepreneurs care more about their employees than men so it makes sense that they would consider how the new owner would impact the employees.
Keeping Employees Happy - Here are three interesting ways from career coach Marty Nemko on how to keep employees happy: 1. Instead of hiring consultants to train employees, cater lunch once a month and rotate employees teaching co-workers what they know best. 2. Do the employees hate tough customers? Shunt them all to one volunteer employee who gets special recognition or combat pay. Matt Weinstein, CEO of PlayFair, tells of a bank manager who awards a magnum of wine to the teller who, that week, served the most difficult customer. As a result, instead of trying to avoid difficult customers, most tellers actually look forward to them. 3. Give employees a frequent chance to earn small rewards combined with public recognition: sports tickets, free meals, or on-the-spot cash. But Lynn Halpin, CEO of Detroit Edison, warns that this better be part of a comprehensive plan. "If you work for Attila the Hun, someone handing you $50 is like rubbing salt in a wound."
And Commitment From Above... - In my experience in larger organizations, there is often a conflict between the training the sharp-end employees receive and that of the more senior managers. That sometimes means the employees feel 'done to', and don't have the belief that their bosses will be on board too. That means they feel pretty disgruntled about the organization too and higher leaving/absence rates can be the more obvious symptoms, with deeper resistance, even sabotage being quite possible too. For example, sending a bunch of employees on a gung-ho selling skills programme (with a fancy lunch included), is incongruous with not getting their pay check right or management not building good relationships with their people. The key here is understanding what training will help employees deliver the needs of the business as well as ensurinjg it is of value and in context for the individuals too. If it's not a win-win (in the bigger picture of their workplace experience too), it's just not going to fly. Sending someone on a training courtse is not a 'fix-it' for all that ails an organization.
A regular employee or a contracted employee? - Thank you Louis, Also in Japan, an employee is an employee. In my opinion, contracted employees don’t receive enough training. And they are often engaged in routine chores. Which factors should we choose about hiring regular or contracted employees? I choose contracted employees if I hire someone engaged in routine chores. On the other hand, I choose regular employees if I hire someone engaged in important duties. One of the most important factors especially for an entrepreneur is wages, too. What do you think?


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