As job hopping becomes more and more common among professionals—Gen Z in particular—many business leaders are looking for ways to increase employee loyalty and retention. While some employees look for higher pay and better benefits, others are just looking for somewhere they feel like they’re making a difference and where their hard work is appreciated and noticed.
That being said, there are a number of ways employers can entice their team members to stay, improving not only their individual work lives but the company’s overall culture as well. Here, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the advice they would give leaders looking to build loyalty and reduce turnover in their business.
1. Build A Culture People Want To Be Part Of
In the current environment, company culture has been a defining element of leaders being able to build loyalty among their team members as well as increase productivity. Culture plays a crucial role in retaining talent within the organization as well. Define your company’s values and build a culture that people want to be a part of. – Andrey Chshelokovskiy, 360 Painting of Dallas
2. Invest In Their Professional Development
Most of our clients are struggling to keep their younger staff who quit when they don’t feel that they’re receiving the skills training they need for their career. Don’t just give them what they need to help your company; make them feel like they are on a learning path to grow and they will stay and give you their discretionary effort. – Rob Toomey, TypeCoach
3. Look For Passion During The Hiring Process
The best way to build loyalty is to hire the right team members in the first place. The easiest way to do this is to look for passion during the interview process. If you ask candidates deep questions about why your company’s mission motivates them, you’ll be able to easily discover candidates who are driven by what your company does. As a result, your team members will feel more connected to your business as a whole, which creates more loyalty overall. That sense of passion and purpose is what reduces turnover and keeps employees around when times are challenging. – Arian Radmand, IgnitePost
4. Offer More Internal Growth Opportunities
The most common reasons people job hop are higher pay or more growth opportunities. If you want to increase employee retention and build loyalty, you need to offer these opportunities internally so your staff doesn’t look for them elsewhere. Offering training opportunities, bonuses and raises based on performance and the option to take on additional responsibilities (if desired) are effective ways to make employees feel valued and ensure they remain challenged and engaged by their job. – Diana Goodwin, MarketBox
5. Identify And Share The Company’s Mission, Vision And Values
I strongly believe that it is vital for an organization to have a vision, mission and core values to operate by and to share with staff as regularly as possible. Not only does sharing these with staff and potential hires provide insight into what the company’s purpose is and what its leaders find meaningful, but it also helps filter out employees who do not place the same importance on these factors. Presenting the company’s guiding principles to new hires is an opportunity to see if they resonate and are a good fit from the very start. When staff members feel connected to a company’s greater purpose, loyalty follows. Everything the organization stands for becomes aligned to the employee’s driving motivation in work and life. – David Henzel, Love not Fear
6. Create And Maintain Channels For Open Communication
One reason why employees leave jobs is that they don’t feel that they are really part of a team. Communication plays a big role. When people feel their voices are heard, they are more likely to feel like they belong. When someone has a problem or concern, they should feel comfortable sharing it with a manager, at a meeting or through other communication channels (such as a Slack channel or the equivalent). Open communication doesn’t mean everyone will always be happy with every decision or outcome, but when employees feel that their concerns are taken seriously, they at least feel like they’re valued members of the organization. On the other hand, if people feel like they are just interchangeable cogs in the machine, they will look for a place where they feel more appreciated. – Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting
7. Provide The Right Compensation
Many companies don’t offer the right compensation to their employees. But, it’s important to understand that people work for money and, without the right pay, people won’t be motivated to do their jobs well. So, make sure that you pay your employees properly. Offer them good benefits and surprise them with incentives. This will help you boost employee loyalty and morale and keep them with you for longer. – Andrew Munro, AffiliateWP
8. Foster A Sense Of Ownership
The secret to employee loyalty is in creating an environment where they feel a sense of ownership toward the organization. For building ownership, you must give your employees the freedom to make decisions related to their projects while encouraging their feedback and involvement in strategic company decisions. This is because when people feel in control, they’re more invested in the outcome. Another way to develop commitment is by encouraging skill development. Whether it’s a coding course or a public speaking workshop, upskilling adds value to the individual and your business while also making the employee feel valued and supported. Profit sharing, cooperatives and stock ownership plans are some other time-tested methods for enhancing a sense of ownership. – Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz
9. Implement Flexible Work Hours
Since job hopping has become a trend these days, one of the most effective ways to prevent your team from considering other options and to foster loyalty is to offer an option to work during flexible hours. Work-life balance is a critical issue that most professionals have to deal with. So, by allowing your team to work during flexible hours, you make it possible for them to keep up with their deliverables and excel in their professional careers without having to compromise on their personal commitments. This may go a long way and help you cultivate loyalty in the workplace. – Chris Klosowski, Easy Digital Downloads
10. Recognize And Celebrate Hard Work
Recognizing hard work and celebrating achievements is a strategic approach that can greatly impact employee retention. It’s not just about applauding accomplishments; it’s about creating a work environment where individuals feel valued, motivated and committed to the organization’s success. When we acknowledge and reward the effort our team puts in, it ignites a spark of motivation. Employees understand that their hard work is not going unnoticed and that their contributions are genuinely appreciated. This, in turn, leads to higher levels of engagement, a deeper sense of loyalty and a desire to consistently give their best. Proper recognition fuels continuous improvement, combining feedback and motivation for growth, while also aligning employees with company goals. – Thomas Smale, FE International
11. Ensure They Know You’re Listening
Encourage—and truly embrace—feedback as a leader. If trust is an existing issue, start with anonymous surveys. Make small improvements consistently and frequently, and show that you are listening and open to feedback. Allow for and improve opportunities for teams to cross-collaborate, especially in remote environments where it can be more difficult to foster team loyalty. Remember that your employees are not in a vacuum—they have lives outside of work and problems just like everyone else. Encourage “water cooler” talk and projects and opportunities where employees can self-lead and submit their own ideas for projects. Foster independence and support creativity and employee initiatives. – Darby Cox, Cox Consulting
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