Retaining talent is one of the biggest challenges for companies today. Many companies are unable to gauge what their employees want from them and end up losing them in the process.
Even so, we do still come across employees who have stayed in one organization for a long time and have no plans to leave it anytime soon. So what exactly do these companies have that yours doesn’t? Well, for one, they might have cracked the code to figure out exactly what their employees want.
What Do Employees Want?
Well, truth be told, employees want a lot of things. Respectable salaries, a safe work environment, good peers, meaningful work, and opportunities for growth.
The last one is where our observations come in. We know that even if employees have all the other benefits if they don’t see meaningful opportunities to grow or expand their horizons in the company, they will eventually look for greener pastures.
This is basically the main concern with talented people in general. They want their talents to be utilized, and they want to learn and grow further. Of course, they are aware that that will not happen if they continue to do the same thing repeatedly.
It is also important to note that truly talented employees are different from individuals who just want to hop from workplace to workplace. Truly talented employees will happily stay in one place if their needs are met, and along with all the basic amenities, the company also gives them the space to grow.
How Does A Company Create This Pathway?
One of the best ways a company can ensure that their employees like their work is by providing them opportunities for lateral growth. This means that an employee when they become seasoned enough, should be able to see possibilities to move to new roles in the same company.
By entrusting employees with new roles, you are essentially trusting them with something entirely new. This will enable them to trust themselves and try their best to learn something new.
Additionally, employees also prefer to have a certain level of flexibility in the workplace. Flexibility could come in the form of the possibility of remote work or a lenient schedule.
In easier words, employees do not want to adhere to a robotic schedule and routine, which will burn them out quickly. Employees also like to feel valued.
As long as they feel they are easily replaceable by the company, they will continue looking for better workplaces. If they are assets to the company and they have never truly felt that way, it will be difficult to retain them. In fact, appreciating an employee’s work will also enable them to give their best to the company.
Conclusion
Retaining talent in a company is not impossible. As long as the company is aware of what the employee brings and how to help them feel welcome and appreciated, it is highly likely that they will stick around for a while.
