Every sector experiences challenges with staff retention and turnover and the many consequences that result when the former is too low and the latter too high. Attempts to quantify these consequences are abundant and capturing all of them is challenging. In addition to the financial cost of hiring, onboarding and training- some estimates are as high as twice an employee’s salary– there are negative impacts to team productivity, morale and engagement. It may be hard to accurately quantify these costs but it is easy to see that the price is high and the damage is costly.
A certain level of turnover is expected and normal. People move, go back to school, change careers and retire every day. No matter how great our company is or how intentional and successful we are with our retention strategies (the few of us who have them), people will live their lives and we should expect nothing less. Where we need to focus our energy is on the turnover we have control over and are responsible for.
There are a number of reasons for turnover that are specific to the individual and his needs, but many of the causes hold true across sectors and organizations- effective hiring, organizational culture, compensation and salary increase schedules, to name a few. Improving staff retention requires dedication, commitment and intentionality. There are no quick fixes to anything in life and staff retention is no exception. However, while you work to develop a comprehensive staff retention plan- and develop one you must- there is one thing you can do today that will start you on the right path. You must without exception set up a regular time to meet with your staff individually and as a team, and you must commit yourself to keeping this time.
WHY YOU’RE NOT MEETING WITH YOUR STAFF REGULARLY
You’re too busy. Your day is filled with meetings and deadlines and more paperwork than you can possibly get through. You barely have time for a bathroom break and can’t remember the last time you ate lunch away from your desk. You want to meet with your staff and you know it’s important but there’s just so much else to do, and when a funder or a potential partner wants to meet, that takes precedence. I empathize. I sympathize. I’ve been there and it’s a terrible place to be.
You don’t want to get in their way. With your competent staff, you trust that they are doing what needs to get done, and what better way to show them you trust them than by giving them their space. You don’t want to be a dreaded micromanager so you think it’s best to leave them alone and let them do what they do best.
You don’t like confrontation. With your less than competent staff, you just can’t bring yourself to confront them about what is going on. Instead of confronting, you avoid these people altogether, close your eyes, click your heels and wish away the problem. You are convinced that someday this will work.
You don’t see the point. There is so much to do and so much going on, who has time for touchy-feely time wasters like check ins. They don’t seem to accomplish much and you don’t see the benefit.
WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO MEET WITH YOUR STAFF REGULARLY
To improve communication. Effective communication is the lifeblood of any relationship including working ones. Meeting regularly dedicates time and space to discussing what needs to be discussed. It allows time for both you as the supervisor and for your staff to bring up topics that are important. It also allows for dedicated information sharing, particularly during team meetings. The more we communicate the better we get at it, and since each staff member likely communicates differently, we need the time and practice to get better.
To give and receive feedback regularly. Feedback is an essential component of an effective working environment. Far too often, managers do not give enough feedback (if they give any at all) out of neglect, fear of confrontation or lack of understanding its importance. This causes a myriad of issues. Staff that are underperforming- either willfully or more likely, out of ignorance- will continue to underperform and in most cases, the problem get worse. Those who are performing at or above expectations and are not commended for their work may lose their motivation. They may even start looking for another job. Not giving space for staff to give you feedback allows issues to fester. Storing up everything for an annual review is never the answer.
To build relationships with your team. Relationships are at the heart of the working world and building them takes time. By meeting regularly, you begin to know each other as individuals which positively impacts the work you can do together. If you are virtual strangers, why should there be any investment or trust on either side?
To show your staff they matter. Setting aside time for your staff every week or every two weeks (I wouldn’t go too much longer than this) shows them that in the middle of all you have to do, you are prioritizing your time with them as valued members of your organization. It sends a message that you are dedicated to them and their growth and that you are paying attention to their performance. Ignoring them does the exact opposite.
To check in on goals. Assuming your staff have clear, written down goals they are expected to achieve (and if they don’t, stop everything you are doing and go make some NOW), it is important that you are checking in on those goals regularly. Like other types of feedback, far too often managers wait until the annual review which of course is terrible practice. Goals should be discussed and assessed regularly throughout the year to make sure everyone is on track.
To monitor professional development. As a manager, you should be aware of and focused on your staff’s professional goals. Meeting regularly helps ensure that staff’s needs are being met and that they are receiving the growth and opportunities they desire. This will keep them invested and their growth will benefit the team and the organization.
To save you time. Yes, it feels like these regular meetings will take up too much of your time, but in fact, the opposite is true. By investing the time up front, you will increase your team’s effectiveness and productivity. Further, by increasing staff retention and decreasing staff turnover, think of all the time you will save on hiring on onboarding processes.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T MEET WITH YOUR STAFF REGULARLY
Problems persist. You may not notice the problems or you may notice them but not confront them. Perhaps you wait too long and by the time you address them, it is already too late. Not meeting regularly and not having a strong understanding of what is going on with your team will allow problems to continue unchecked.
You demotivate your team. I once had a manager tell me that he never complimented me because he found it insulting. Since I was competent, it would be condescending to praise me for what was expected. There are not enough blog posts in the world to capture all I feel about this. Staff need to be recognized. Thanked. Noticed. Valued. If not, you will lose them. You may lose them physically if they choose to leave or, perhaps worse, you may lose them emotionally even though they stick around.
Communication suffers. Information does not regularly flow back and forth among the people who need to know it. This causes breakdowns in productivity and alienates staff who feel left out of what is going on. As soon as staff perceive that some are privy to information while others are not, you have lost them.
You lose out on you staff’s input. When staff are included in discussions and see that their opinions matter, they will be more likely to contribute and be invested in their work. Conversely, the work will be better because it will be the result of your entire team’s best thinking. When everyone contributes, everyone benefits.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR REGULAR MEETINGS EFFECTIVE
Set the day and time and stick to it. Many managers start out with good intentions by setting up a regular meeting time. However, in many cases, they don’t treat the time as sacred time. When they are setting up meetings with other people, they view this time as tentative and often schedule other appointments. Rescheduling becomes a nightmare if it happens at all. Other times, managers show up late or leave early or take a call while the meeting is going on. The message is clear- this time is not important. Instead, do all you can to set a time and stick to it. No matter what. If a meeting does need to be rescheduled, give as much notice as possible and make sure to reschedule it.
Use an agenda. Too many meetings end up going off on too many tangents because there is no stated purpose and agenda. Time is valuable and should be treated as such. To make the most of the time, use a consistent formula for the agenda and share with all included participants ahead of time. Be respectful of time but allow for more if it is needed.
Give feedback and receive feedback. Feedback can make the most seasoned professional uncomfortable, but the more frequently it happens, the more normal it becomes. Make dedicated space to both give and receive feedback during your meetings with your team. This will help when a difficult conversation is required. It also gives space for staff to share feedback with you. Don’t ask them If they have feedback. Ask them what feedback they have for you. Eventually it will become a natural part of your time together.
Recognize the good work being done. I could have (and perhaps should have) included this in the feedback section, because feedback naturally includes praise. I chose to make it a separate item since we tend to think of feedback as critical. Equally important is taking the time to recognize and thank staff for the good work they are doing. Appreciated employees are satisfied employees and satisfied employees stick around.
Give staff voice and input. Each staff member you have will communicate differently and will have different needs. Learn each employee and listen to how to make the meeting times most effective for them. Some may prefer certain days or times. Some may prefer a walking meeting instead of sitting in an office. Whatever it is, do what you can to honor and meet the needs of your team. The more these feelings feel reciprocal, the more effective they will be.
Maximizing staff retention while minimizing staff turnover requires a concerted effort for all organizations in all sectors. Like all complex issues, there is no quick, magic solution. Organizations must have an intentional plan in place to ensure that their staff is being supported and valued. An important and easy way to start is to make sure you are meeting with your team collectively and individually. Yes, it takes time, and yes, the reasons you are not currently doing it may seem valid. But the benefit from doing it and the negative consequences from not doing it far outweigh the challenges in making it happen. So, if you are not doing this already, start. If you are already doing it, take this opportunity to evaluate what is working in what needs to change. This should be an ongoing process that responds and adjusts as people and situations change. Meeting regularly won’t magically fix your turnover issue, but it is a necessary step to improving it. Make the decision and make the time. You’ll be surprised how much time it will save you in the long run and how much more enjoyable it will be to have an invested and satisfied staff.
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6 Responses
I have seen non-profits that operate with the assumption that their cause should be reason enough for employees to stay, therefore they treat employee development as unnecessary. This results in unsatisfied and sometimes insufficiently trained staff who look for jobs elsewhere.