3 Tips to Knowing Your Employees to Keep Them Longer

by Cara Silletto

We know that you are passionate about providing the best customer care. We also know that not being able to keep your employees is both a massive detriment to that goal and just plain frustrating for you. But pause for a moment and take a breath of relief because Magnet Culture has got your back. We’re here to help with fresh ideas and insights to make your job a little less stressful and maybe reinvigorate some of that purpose and joy you began it with.

One sure way to retain your staff for longer is to make the commitment to know them better. What’s keeping them up at night? How are they motivated? What backgrounds and life experiences are they coming from? Getting to know your employees will undoubtedly result in better company culture, lower turnover rates, and higher productivity over time.

With so much already on your to-do list, though, how can you begin to make this relational investment? Here are three quick tips:

Tip #1 – Acknowledge your unique lens.
The first piece of advice just starts with you. As a result of different upbringings and life experiences, we all see the world a bit differently. At the office, you and your staff (and the staff themselves) will have varying perspectives on the same situation. Taking a moment to consider your lens and how that might differ from your employees’ lenses is a great first step to building relational credit. Then, find five minutes here and there to learn about your staff’s lenses. It’s amazing what a little bit of perspective and consideration will do.

Tip #2 – Know their stressors.
You know the “life” that happens for you outside of your office hours. Your staff also has stressors they deal with before and after work, and most likely, they aren’t the same one’s you are experiencing. Differences in pay and schedule flexibility, for example, may make their lives difficult in unique ways. Are there policies, perks and rewards that could be adjusted to better meet their needs? Avoid disconnect with your team by finding out what is keeping them up at night and be prepared to support in any way you can.

Tip #3 – Assess yourself and your team.
Do you really know yourself, behaviors and communication style? Do you have an awareness of others’ personalities and motivators? Prioritize time and resources to assess your leaders and team to find out who they are and who you are. After gaining this understanding, you will be able to adjust to these different styles and structure your team in more effective ways. This is where you’ll find true upgrades in productivity, company culture, and less people quitting because your organization will be a place that people want to work.

To avoid disconnecting with your employees, commit to knowing yourself and others better. Take advantage of even the spare minutes in the day to do so. If you’re interested in a more in-depth approach, we’d love to schedule a call to provide assessments and resources for this purpose.