Employee retention is almost as important as customer retention

Editor’s Note: Here at Dispatches, we are always looking for ways to help our readers do things. For some of our readers, that means helping navigate the working world, for others, it means assisting in the ever challenging question,“what’s for dinner?” For still others, it means figuring out how to balance family life with everything else. In an effort to aid in all of these endeavors, we have collaborated on this article written specifically for our readers.

High employee turnover means you have to spend time and resources training new people and don’t have anyone with experience. Even if you’re just a staff of two, put some effort into staff retention. This list should help you make your business employee-friendly. Dedicated employees

Have a Clear Direction
A business that lacks clarity and direction doesn’t provide an outlet for an ambitious person. A business with clearly stated goals and ideas will attract similarly minded employees. As a business owner make sure you articulate the whys of your business, short-term and long-term goals and provide an outlet for sharing ideas. An oft-quoted mantra about this sums it up: “People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.”

Treat Them Well
As the business owner, you are the boss, and you make the rules. But, that doesn’t mean you can be an all out jerk. From the first employee to the 20th, treat your employees well and show them the respect they deserve. Be fair and reasonable in your expectations. Reward employees (and yourself!) for hard work. People like to be valued and treated well. As a business owner, you should always remember, people leave a boss, not a job. Work to create a positive environment and a good working relationship with your staff starting with te very first employee to set the right tone for all future employees.

Engagement Matters
People want to feel like they’re part of something special. Creating a strong employee engagement strategies plan can help you identify non-monetary ways to help keep employees by considering what matters to them. 

BY keeping close tabs on the motivations of your employees and working on creating a good working relationship with each of them, you will reap the benefits in terms of lower staff turnover and less time and energy spent in training new people.