Any good business owner or leader knows that their company is only as good as the people that are in it. And when you have good people… you best believe that other companies want them too!

It won’t be a shock anyone to hear that the Manchester property market is candidate short, with no sign of changing. This means attracting new people is really tough, so it’s more important than ever that in pursuit of growing your team, you’re not losing your current people in the at the same time.

Employee retention doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intention and a regularly reviewed strategy. Here’s my top tips for kickstarting or refining your retention strategy.

• Separation

While this article aims to help you keep people, separation is sadly, inevitable. However, the way you let people leave your company is super important and handled correctly, might just prevent it happening again! Strong separation strategies should always include an exit interview with the focus being on how you can improve your workplace. An employee leaving has no reason to hold their true feedback from you, so try not to take it personally and use it to create actionable insights.

• Employee Surveys

Periodic and anonymous employee surveys are an incredibly powerful tool to get your people’s true and honest feedback. Generally, employees are very responsive to filling out surveys, especially when they are positioned correctly, i.e. with their best interests at heart. Where these fall down is when feedback is not recognised and no action is taken. At that point, they are viewed as mere administrative tasks with no meaning and employees are less likely participate or be honest next time you ask. It’s not always possible to implement all areas of feedback, but it is possible to address all areas of feedback. Carefully consider what can change and how, and what can’t change and why and communicate this to your team.

• Knowing their WHY

Do you know why your employees come to work? Yes, of course, it’s because they need to make a living, but what are they living for? You need to know everybody’s why… Are they saving for something in particular, maybe a new house or holiday? Do they have a career goal? Just like you, your employees have a life outside of work that work is facilitating. When you know what this is, you have a genuine vantage point to keep people motivated with meaning. A powerful exercise is to encourage employees to create their own business plan. Work with them to put their why at the top and break down the activity needed to reach their goals in a set period of time. This creates measurable actions that all lead directly to their why, and you might just get to know your people a little better too.

• Check ins – informal and not

Regular check ins, both formal and informal, are a massively underutilised retention tool, and during a busy periods, they can often be the first thing in your diary to be pushed back. The impact of this can be much larger than anticipated, and it gives the impression to your employees that there are more important things to you than them. Book check ins in advance, stick to them and create a safe space for people to be honest. Share your feedback too – both positive and constructive – because people want to improve and ask them for theirs. Address and answer each and every suggestion they might give you, and if something is not possible to implement, explain why.

• Spotting disengagement

This can be easier said than done, particularly if you have larger team sizes but it’s something that you and your team managers need to get good at. Disengagement can come in many forms such as decreased productivity, withdrawing from conversations and social elements, overall reduced communication and a negative attitude. Unfortunately, when disengagement sets in amongst an employee, it can’t always be rectified. However, if you want a good chance of keeping a disengaged person, act as soon as it’s spotted. Explain the changes you have noticed and express a willingness to help. It’s up to the employee how they react to this, but action on your side is the only way something could be salvaged.

• Your EVP

Your Employee Value Proposition is another piece of documentation that should be regularly reviewed, as it’s just as important for your attraction as it is for your retention. Working trends and priorities are changing all the time, and you need to keep up with this to keep your people happy and feeling valued. This shouldn’t be just a list of employee benefits. It should contain cultural standards and promises, career progression and development opportunities and your company’s purpose. EVPs can be extremely detailed and there are specialists out there who can help you to create and maintain them.

• Thank yous

Last but by no means least, people love to know they’re doing a good job and a simple ‘thank you’ goes a long way. It’s a quick and easy way to boost morale, recognise work and actions with sincerity and generally improve engagement. Trust me, engaged and valued employees stay.

Strong retention starts before your employees even start with you and at We Are PROPA, we just love to see companies taking their retention strategy seriously. If this is something you are navigating at the moment and could do with some guidance, please do get in touch.