We’ve all heard the expression: “People don’t quit jobs, they quit bad bosses” — and it’s never been truer than when it comes to the Great Resignation. In a time when employees are reexamining their job satisfaction, companies must take steps to improve employee relationship management.
Of the 3,948 workers surveyed for our 2021 Talent Retention Report, 69.8% said they’d leave a job due to a poor relationship with supervisors.
Here are five strategies to improve the employer-employee relationship and keep your staff aboard.
The first step to determining how to improve employee retention and how to keep employees happy is to know what employees want. Use anonymous surveys to ask employees what’s working and what’s not when it comes to the employer-employee relationship. Sample questions to ask include:
For employees to enjoy healthy relationships with their managers, they need to have access to open, two-way communication. Although communicating is challenging if workers are remote or in hybrid formats, these ideas can help:
Meaningful employee recognition is sometimes missing in poor employer-employee relationships, especially if you’re not seeing your employees face-to-face. However, it should still be an important part of any overall retention strategy. While managers often point out areas in which employees could improve, it’s also vital to focus on the areas where they’re excelling.
Managers can do this by thanking employees, either with a handwritten note or email, or simply recognizing them for a job well done. You may also build recognition into regular meetings by spotlighting high-achieving employees and accomplishments. It also helps to find out how employees prefer to be recognized, as not everyone enjoys public displays.
Through surveys, find out which rewards would motivate employees. Examples include telework, flexible leave, or gift cards.
Create Your Account Today
Managers may be lacking the support they need to lead employees effectively. That means you’ll need to take a second look at your management training programs. Do managers have everything they need to perform well? Do they know how to be a good manager? Here are some ideas to help:
A culture of trust is essential for healthy employer-employee relationships. Employees need to believe that their managers will follow up on promises and lead with transparency. Managers can increase trust with their direct reports by:
If you want to improve employee relationship management and retain employees, focus on building trust, communicating, and delivering positive feedback. These elements are crucial to employees achieving personal and professional success within your company — and can go a long way in boosting retention rates.
For more tips on how to improve employee retention and how to keep employees happy, visit our Resource Center.