When you think of employee loyalty, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Loyalty to task completion? Loyalty to people, to the organization, to the self? There are many layers to an employee’s devotion, and increasing it is no exception. If we step back and look at employee loyalty in the general sense, it would translate in some way to an employee’s dedication to the success of the organization he/she is working for.
With today’s war on talent and companies continuously adopting more strategies to attract the absolute best, finding ways to increase employee loyalty has never been more important. But you can do something about it now!
What’s causing employees to leave in the first place?
To increase employee loyalty, you need to understand why and what makes people leave your organization. Although you can’t always expect an employee to give you the exact reason for leaving, there are ways to gain more information without grilling your workforce.
If they were offered “another opportunity”, why is that opportunity better than what you were offering? Were they unhappy with the tasks they were doing, or was it poor management? If you don’t ask yourselves these questions, you will always be in an action/reaction mode, instead of preventing these losses from happening in the first place.
Continuously evaluate employee happiness
Implementing tools such as mini questionnaires, employee satisfaction surveys, and regular follow-ups can provide you with the early warning signs of dissatisfaction at work. Although answers are sometimes left anonymous, you can still get a general consensus on what’s working and not working.
The simple fact of giving your employees a voice can also make them feel appreciated because you are taking steps to understand what makes them happy. You may even be surprised! Sometimes it’s the small things that can make a difference and increase employee loyalty. A little recognition here, a paid staff lunch there…don’t underestimate the simpler joys of the workplace.
Is there a mismatch between person and task?
An employee that was hired for a job that is not aligned with his/her natural strengths can lead to demotivation and poor performance. And struggling employees may become less loyal to their employers and seek work elsewhere in order to find that better fit.
So, to increase employee loyalty, you’ll want to use a selection tool that will provide you with precise information about their personality and natural talents.
Remember that seeing their true long-term potential will help increase the chances of them remaining in your organization and being loyal to your company. It can also shed some light on certain natural tendencies that may be better suited for another position WITHIN your company, thus maintaining an employee’s retention, engagement and loyalty to your organization, as opposed to watching them leave.
Increase employee loyalty by offering more opportunity to grow
We’ve all heard about this new Generation Y and Z entering the workplace with their need for autonomy, innovation and constant stimulation. But is your organization prepared to receive such “unconventional” employees? Now more than ever, these types of employees are more likely to leave their current workplace if the right opportunity presented itself, and they might not even think twice about it.
You need to start promoting your company’s capacity to offer amazing experiences, to give employees ongoing opportunities to grow and enhance their professional abilities. Nowadays, it’s not only about candidate’s selling themselves for a position, but the organization attracting and selling itself to win over the best talents.
And what about those who prefer work security?
Sure… not all employees have this need to continuously develop and set very ambitious goals for themselves. Some will remain within an organization because it provides a certain work stability, good benefits, and little risk taking. I guess what I’m trying to say is: the first step is knowing!
Know what your employees are looking for when it comes to job security vs taking audacious challenges, then see if your organization can provide them with what they seek.
Loyalty to PEOPLE: A powerful incentive
Throughout my experiences, I’ve been lucky to witness colleagues having an enormous amount of loyalty to the people they are working with. I’m not only talking about this devotion to teamwork and to the managers that oversee them, but also a devotion to providing good customer service to their clients. Sometimes, it’s easier to stay loyal to people, because we build relationships, trust and attachments to those around us.
If an employee were to leave, they wouldn’t only be leaving the organization, they would be leaving the people in it. And that’s sometimes a harder pill to swallow.
To increase employee loyalty means looking at the relationships and collaboration between your human capital. Is there conflict? Is the communication flowing properly? Can you implement more social activities that will promote synergy, or tools to increase cooperation between colleagues?
If you’ve ever experienced friction with another co-worker, you know how daunting this can be. It may even be enough to push someone to leave your organization. So, although your company may have attractive benefits and perks, don’t underestimate the power of human loyalty.
Have leaders that people will want to follow long-term
If the cause of employee turnover has something to do with poor management, you need to ensure that your organization has leaders that can inspire and motivate employees long-term.
Understand what leadership means to your organization and use tools that can help you detect those natural leaders. When you have the right people pointing you in the right direction and empowering you to be your best, there’s a good chance that you will increase employee loyalty.
A quote by Sam Walton comes to mind: “Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”
This feeling of confidence and self-worth can also increase a person’s loyalty to oneself, and to self-actualization.
To increase employee loyalty, you need to look at why they are leaving in the first place and continuously get input from your workforce to prevent job dissatisfaction from happening. It is important to use tools that can help you hire the right person for the right position, maintain strong collaborations between co-workers and managers, and understand their need for continuous growth and development. Have inspiring leaders who can empower your workforce to be the best they can be will also help increase loyalty to the self and to the people they are working alongside.
What have you done to increase employee loyalty at your organization?