Retaining good employees should be a priority for small businesses. 

Retaining good employees is essential for small business success for many reasons, not the least of which is the cost to hire and train new employees which can be staggering to a small business. Small businesses need to take note of this, as it now appears that there is a trend of employees getting restless. According to a recent Gallup survey, more than half of U.S. workers (51 percent) say they’re considering looking for a new job. People aren’t leaving their jobs at the rates they were a few years ago, but as the survey notes, “employees’ long-term commitment to their organizations is currently the lowest it has been in nine years.” This time around it appears to be related more to interpersonal dynamics rather than economic issues. This translates into leadership issues which are very important in all businesses, but especially important in small businesses.

Retaining good employees should be a priority for small businesses. One of my most popular presentations is on developing a positive company culture and I am always asked for tips to help achieve this. There are many ways in which to make your company attractive enough to retain good employees. Obvious ones include good pay and good benefits such as medical insurance. However, don’t overlook your company culture. Having a positive company culture that includes making employees feel valued goes a very long way to help retention.

 According to the Gallup survey, 21 percent of employees who left their jobs said “more positive interpersonal interactions with [a] manager” would have prevented them from leaving. Interactions, even short ones, matter. As Gallup’s Corey Tatel and Ben Wigert note, “when a manager has one meaningful conversation a week with each direct report, employees are four times as likely to be highly engaged…. These conversations are more meaningful when they focus on goals and priorities, recognition for recent work, collaboration, and using employees’ strengths.”

So, the takeaway from this is that you shouldn’t wait for your employees to tell you they are feeling alienated or unhappy. Take a proactive approach. Have regular conversations with them about any issues. Ask them about their job satisfaction. Ask them about where they want to be in five years and how they see their future with your company. Ask them what you can do to make their job more meaningful. Ask them what you can do to help them grow in their field and in their job. Treat them with respect and help them to feel important and valued. Help them feel like their future is important to you. Support them in every way you can.

Some insightful information from the Gallup survey includes that when asked what could’ve been done to keep them at their job, one responded: “Treated me with respect and shown concern for my wellbeing and its employees’ happiness.” Another wished an employer “helped me in a path to advance my career [and] taken an active role in helping me feel vested in my future.”

Supporting and respecting your employees will save you time, money, stress and much more. It’s a small effort that yields big results.

Timothy A Dimoff, CPP, Founder and President of SACS Consulting and Training Center, is a nationally recognized expert in corporate security and HR issues, with over 40 years of experience in workplace security, labor and human resource consulting to corporations, associations, religious entities, educational facilities, non-profit organizations and others.  He consults, trains and develops solutions for workplace issues including substance abuse, management training, sexual harassment, documentation procedures, liability reduction, hiring/firing, pre-employment screening, employee motivation, workplace violence, bullying, corporate investigations, internal theft, security analysis/vulnerability assessment and security measures. He provides commentary and profiling analysis for television, radio and print media worldwide.

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