Retaining team members during the Great Resignation

You”™ve likely heard the terms the “Great Resignation” or the “Big Quit” to describe the incredible staffing challenges that we face across the nation. In the human resources field, we have been looking at many creative ways to recruit new team members to join our organizations however, equally salient has been the importance of focusing on staff retention.

The following are some of the ideas circulating in the HR space and tips on how workplaces can retain staff during this trying time, including ones I”™ve personally seen resonate within my company and think could be helpful to leaders trying to keep and grow their workforces during this tight labor market.

Consistency is Key

When working with your team, make sure you”™ve acknowledging their good work ”” consistently. A recent article from Harvard Business Review said that employees need six positive interactions for every one negative piece of feedback.

It”™s worth all of us thinking about what our ratio of positive to negative feedback is with the team members that work with us on a daily basis. Often, a bit of encouraging input goes a long way towards improving overall staff morale and their feeling of belonging.

Managing Management 

Outside of focusing on the team member, it”™s important that management have the right training and philosophy behind them.

Most often, the reason employees leave a position is how they feel about their boss, so ensuring that managers have proper training on policy and procedure and are clear about the organization”™s philosophies around leadership goes a long way towards keeping valuable team members from looking elsewhere.

Also, it is key to speak up when staffing shortages put undue strain on the existing team so that plans can be made to hire or additional support can be put in place until the right candidates can come on board.

Focus on Personal Wellness

In our current landscape, the team members’ wellness, both physical and mental, should be high priorities when it comes to retention. A company team needs to know that management understands that there is nothing normal about the time we”™re living in right now.

It”™s also important that team members know they can take time off as they need to maintain their overall well-being, along with emphasizing the importance of finding an outlet outside of work to manage work-life-balance.

Compensate Competitively

Whether ramping up, filling vacant spots or keeping star employees around, a good leader should reexamine salaries and industry benchmarks to make sure they hit the mark. Look beyond just dollars in a check and ensure benefits plans are progressive to keep pace with the world we”™re in now.

For instance, our organization has a compassionate leave program, where employees can donate unused time off to a colleague in need. While that benefit has been around for more than a decade now, it became especially relevant during the pandemic.

Make Way for Individuality

When you join a company, you become part of a “we” environment. Even though there”™s a group dynamic, it”™s important to honor the unique contributions of people when it comes to culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, languages spoken, color, religion, sexual orientation and beliefs.

It also means your company will have the advantage of choosing from the widest, most diverse talent pool possible and, in a time like this, that is something every employer can benefit from.

It’s All About Connection

Many argue that we”™re not seeing the Great Resignation, but rather the Great Realignment. The importance of employees”™ connection to the mission of the work they do taking more precedence than ever when choosing a job.

Through the last two years of intermittent sequestering, people across the globe have reflected on their own lives and asked important questions about how they want to spend their time. 

Every employer has a newfound opportunity to draw a connection between their organization”™s values and mission to those of the team members that work with them.

Christopher Pels is vice president for human resources, risk management and organizational development at Family Services Inc. in Poughkeepsie.