It's easy to assume talented employees don't need anything from you. But they do! Don't be caught off guard with positions to fill. Avoid these 7 deadly sins and talented employees will line up to work for you!
Do you have great employees you want to keep? Of course! High-performing employees make your life easier and help work projects succeed. But as the economy turns around, talented employees are in demand and more likely to be looking. The following ‘7 Deadly Sins' are the most common reasons employees start looking for new opportunities.
Employees don't want to work for managers who:
- Keep employees in the dark
Leaders forget to communicate what's happening at their level. Without this information, employees worry and wonder about the overall strategy, future direction of the company and how they fit in. Make time to share information about issues being discussed at your level. Fill your staff in on the details when you return from a meeting. Don't assume they know!
- Promote employees - without compensating them
Beware of asking talented employees to take on additional responsibilities without adequate compensation. Employees want to be loyal to you and do a good job. But if their pay is not aligned with the work they are asked to do, they'll feel ‘used'. Do what it takes to pay employees fairly for their contributions.
- Expect employees to do others' work
High-performing employees are very capable. And sometimes they can do the job better than anyone else! However, if the employee is working for a weak manager or with low-performing team members, deal with the issue. Don't expect talented employees to compensate for others' lack of skill or motivation. They will resent it.
-
Fail to give employees visibility
When employees complete a project successfully, make sure they get the credit. It's your job to toot their horn. Let others know who was involved and what they did to contribute to the project's success. Never take the credit away from them. Help employees shine!
- Retain employees who want to move on
Top-notch employees are hard to replace. You may be tempted to hold onto them. But this is a lose-lose strategy. You lose the trust of employees and the company loses their skills. The word gets out! Encourage employees to go for jobs that match their career interests. Be an advocate, not a barrier to employees' success. This is the surest way to attract and retain valuable employees.
-
Fail to give feedback and growth opportunities
You may be good at telling employees they're doing a great job. But that's where it ends. To grow, employees also want feedback, advice and opportunities to grow. Balance your praise with critical feedback and stretch goals. Help employees develop their true potential and they'll stick with you.
- Is too busy to discuss employee's career
Employees are vitally interested in their careers. You should be too. They want to talk about where they are going next. Make time for these discussions. Have an open door policy. Meeting once a year is inadequate to clarify employees' career priorities and identify opportunities. Talk frequently about employees' interests and help them achieve their career goals.