Reducing Employee Turnover Through Recognition and Engagement

The labor landscape after the pandemic has largely favored workers, which is great for company culture and even better for employees. As a result of the Great Resignation and the labor shortages that followed facility shutdowns and transitions to remote work, many employers are reevaluating their culture to determine how they can attract and retain top talent.

While employees are learning how to trust again, their employers are learning how to build loyalty in this new work world. Employers want people to stay at their companies, and often go to great lengths to make sure that they do!

Solicit and listen to feedback

Despite how obvious it may sound, sometimes leaders just need to start listening. They need to hear what employees are saying about their jobs, their managers, and their peers. Although idle gossip should not be encouraged, thoughtful opinions are always worth considering.

One way to achieve this goal is to solicit ideas from employees on how to improve the workplace. Surveying your team members should not simply be performative (employees can see that coming from a mile away). Survey them in a way that makes them feel their feedback is heard and appreciated. Not only does this give you an idea of what may need to be changed within your organization, but your employees will know that their ideas and opinions are valued.

Be transparent

As an employer, you cannot build trust if you are keeping employees in the dark, especially regarding issues that will affect their place in the company or their working environment. When things are happening within the organization, you can almost count on the rumor mill picking up on rumblings. Transparency and honest communication are important factors in building a culture of trust, and will help squash any harmful rumors as well.

Remember to keep employees informed about changes, plans, goals, and your expectations for them and the team as a whole. At the same time, keep your door open—both literally and figuratively—and make it known that you are willing to hear thoughts from your team, both the good and the bad.

Foster trust with direct recognition

Businesses can build a culture of trust and loyalty by regularly and effectively recognizing employees. In a recent employee survey, 81.9% of respondents agreed they felt more engaged with their work if they received regular recognition.