Losing good people

Listen to the complaints of employees against their bosses:

“I asked my boss for a raise... He bought me an adjustable chair. I should have been more specific.”

“Have you heard about the boss who got their foot stuck in an electrical cord? They went on a power trip!”

Jokes and puns like these reflect an issue that has to be addressed.

I have been in business and leadership training and development for years, and I thought nothing would surprise me until I started seeing things happening today. There was a time when jobs were scarce; people stayed with their companies until retirement. Then their stay with their companies shortened. People today tend to change jobs more frequently than in the past, and it is common for someone to work with multiple companies throughout their career.

Yet successful organizations and businesses agree that to stay successful and competitive, companies must attract new promising talents and retain the good ones. So, companies now face a critical question: How do you keep top performers from leaving?

It was gathering data, comments, laments and good practices from our professional HR friends over the years. The answer may not be groundbreaking, but it remains a challenge for many to implement. Here are some challenges and recommended and actionable solutions that may help curb attrition and retain productive performers.

1. Lack of recognition and appreciation.

Employee engagement and satisfaction reports repeatedly highlight the recognition issue. There is always the prevailing feeling that no matter the load of work and the dedication poured into the jobs, they are not appreciated. With employees facing burnout due to taking on more responsibilities with fewer resources and better pay, recognition has become even more crucial. Simple gestures like “thank you” and “good job” is appreciated, but employees seek more meaningful and frequent recognition.

Solution: Gallup has found that employees who receive praise once a week are more productive, receive higher customer loyalty and satisfaction scores, and are more likely to stay with the organization.

2. Lack of feedback.

Studies have shown that employees who wait more than a month to receive feedback from their managers are likely to become disengaged from their work. But when feedback is given regularly, then productivity more than doubles. Feedback is even more critical when acted on.

People want to feel valued, and by showing a genuine interest in employees’ goals, you can meet this basic need and improve your organization.

Solution: More regular feedback can be provided through weekly planning sessions, daily check-ins and frequent one-on-one meetings.

3. Lack of growth opportunities.

Many employees, especially the younger ones, believe they need career advancement or learning opportunities. This is so evident in the feedback forms submitted after the training sessions I have provided. They expressed gratitude and appreciation because they saw that their companies invested in them.

Managers must trust their employees enough to provide them with new challenges and let them take on projects to develop new skills. Autonomy and a sense of purpose are crucial to employee engagement.

Solution: Managers should take an interest in their employees’ careers and create learning and development opportunities.

4. Excessive job stress.

Many employees feel overwhelmed and overworked and struggle to balance their work and personal lives. Overworking employees do not benefit the company long-term, as it reduces productivity and can lead to burnout and mental health issues.

Solution: As a manager, you should promote workplace well-being to reduce employee stress. Implement health and wellness programs with incentives and rewards for participation and completion.

5. Lack of communication with managers.

Employees want to communicate more frequently with their managers, making them feel more connected to the manager and organization.

Solution: Improved communication is the solution. Be transparent and communicate more frequently to remove barriers and reduce employee confusion.

And now, here comes the number one reason why good people leave: Cannot get along with their bosses.

Many egos, power tripping, credit grabbing and lack of people skills push good people away. Good people do not have time for drama like this; they are always the first to go because they are good. And the market will always be more than happy to welcome them with open arms.

Solution? Leaders have to be trained in leadership skills. Be smart and be generous. Invest in your people and produce good leaders out of them, or else you will lose them. You cannot afford not to.

(Francis Kong’s podcast “Inspiring Excellence” is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms).