Engaging and Retaining Top Tier Talent

Stop what you are doing right now. Take a look around you. Look at the people who are sitting next to you. How do they look? I don’t mean what they are wearing . . . take a look at their expressions. Are they happy? Sad? Focused? Stressed? Delirious?

There is no doubt about it. Companies need motivated, engaged employees who show up ready to contribute every day. This is especially true during these economic times. When you think about it, the success of any facet of your business can almost always be traced back to motivated, engaged, dedicated employees. Unfortunately, motivating people is far from an exact science, and sadly, there is no secret formula.

Right now, companies are struggling to survive. In the shuffle of economic difficulty, it is understandable that emphasis on employee retention and satisfaction may become a secondary concern. It may seem, in this job-starved economy that just having a job would be motivation enough to keep someone engaged in their work. Not so. Quality suffers when employees lack motivation. One more thing . . . Take a look at those faces again. You could be looking at a preview of things to come when the economic recovery begins. Employee retention could be a problem when the economy improves if employees have a bad taste in their mouths right now. Are you prepared to spend turnover and training dollars just as the recovery begins? Wouldn’t that money be better spent in other areas of your company?

From productivity and profitability to recruiting and retention, hardworking and happy employees lead to triumph.

As Vice President for Delta Dallas, I make an effort to motivate our employees each day. It is important to me that our employees stay engaged and feel motivated to reach their goals. Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your employees stay focused:

Start with YOU
Attitude is king. It’s amazing how, if you start the day with a negative attitude, it seems like everyone else does, too. If you are very stressed out, it seems like everyone else is, too. On the other hand, enthusiasm is contagious. If you’re enthusiastic about your job, it’s much easier for others to be, too. If you’re doing a good job of taking care of yourself and your own job, you’ll have much clearer perspective on how others are doing in theirs.

A great place to start learning about motivation is to start understanding your own motivations. Think about how your job is configured to support your own motivations, and what can you do to better motivate yourself? The key to helping to motivate your employees is to understand what motivates them, so what motivates you?

ASK
Each person is motivated by different things. You can find out what motivates your employees by asking them, listening to them and observing them.

Create a check list of possible motivators. Fill out the list yourself and then pass it on to each of your employees. Let them know that their answers are important to you and that you really want to know what they find valuable in a work situation. When you are done, compare your answers to theirs. Recognize the differences between your motivators and theirs. After the check list has been completed by everyone, meet with each of your employees to better understand their points of view. Lastly, take some time alone to write down how you will modify your approaches with each employee to ensure their motivational factors are being met.

• Time Off
• Rewards, recognition
• Flextime
• Working from home
• Consider, for example, time with family, recognition, a job well done, service, learning, etc.
• Moving physical location of office/cube
• New job title

Goals
Establish goals that are SMART: Specific Measurable Acceptable Realistic Timely

Clearly convey how employee results contribute to organizational results. Employees want to know that what they are doing does make a difference. This realization often requires clear communication about organizational goals, employee progress toward those goals and celebration when the goals are met.

Recognition
When employees have done a good job, particularly when they’ve succeeded in a challenging assignment, nearly all want to be recognized for doing so. When this doesn’t occur, the result often is discouragement and disengagement. But, when honestly and genuinely offered by supervisors and other management, praise and recognition can be one of the greatest motivators.

Have Fun
The reality is that too few people are having fun at work. And there is plenty of evidence that suggests employees who have fun at work make more money for their employers, miss less work, are more creative, and ultimately have increased job satisfaction. Find a way to help your employees enjoy the time they spend at work each day. Yes, we are all at work to contribute to our company’s goals, but we can do it with a sense of enjoyment. Take the time, every once in a while, to bring fun into the atmosphere. Be creative and let your employees know that it is alright to have a good time at work. When they see you having fun, they will join in! Fun brings a sense of camaraderie and cohesiveness through shared (fun) experiences.

Okay, so one more time, take a look around. The people around you, the ones that have survived at your company during this down economy, are probably some of your most valued employees. A lot of the people around you right now are probably worth keeping . . . and will be leaders when the economy recovers and new hires are brought in. Let these top-tier players know that they are valued. Let them know that the extra efforts that they are making while staff is low will be remembered. They will return the favor in production, retention and loyalty.

MICHELLE COOK, CPC, CTS, is vice president with Delta Dallas. Reach her at mcook@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.