5 WAYS TO RETAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES

Being in the Industrial sector, you’re no stranger to employee turnover. Whether you’re in a large factory or small machine shop, you know firsthand how difficult it is to hire and retain quality staff members. Turnover can be expensive, stressful and disruptive to business.

But it isn’t all doom and gloom. There are strategies you can implement to keep your staff engaged, excited and productive, thus increasing employee retention. While there is no magic formula and not everything will work in every business, it’s worth giving some of these ideas a try.

1. Invest in the hiring process. If you want employees who will stick around, it starts with finding the right people for the job. Don’t use standard interview questions for all interviewees. Questions should be tailored to the position you’re interviewing for. Pick questions that will highlight an applicant’s personality and accomplishments. You want to make sure new hires will mesh well with the rest of the team. Being transparent with role expectations and career paths will also help narrow down the right candidate.
2. Make training a priority. To build an employee’s confidence, a thorough new hire training program should exist. Most employees want a clear explanation of what it takes to succeed in their new role. But don’t stop there – career development should be a continual occurrence. Encourage employees to take relevant courses or attend seminars to further their skill sets. That way, roles don’t become too monotonous or stagnant. Nurture your talent and let employees know that you believe in promoting from within. For example, an assembler in beverage processing may have aspirations to be a line supervisor. Show them the steps to achieve their goal and you’ll likely have a long-time employee.
3. Provide a professional environment. If an employee feels like they are part of a team, they are more likely to enjoy coming to work. Choose team players who are inviting and respectful. Also show potential and existing employees that you care about the team by offering the right tools for the job. This includes everything from flame resistant uniforms to quality socket/wrench sets. For Matt Harris, owner of 40 Cal Customs, professionalism means pride. “The bikes that we build are an extension of ourselves. We put a lot of pride, care and thought into the products that we make. It has our name on it so when it goes somewhere you never know who’s going to eventually own that product. That’s a reflection of you and who you are, and that’s very important to us.”
4. Take care of your employees. The usual suspects here are salary and benefits, which are definitely important, but there are other ways to show employees that they are appreciated and valued. Something as simple as listening and asking for feedback from staff can go a long way. Implementing a promotion or contest idea suggested by an employee can build morale and give staff a feeling of ownership. Being flexible with scheduling is another way to retain employees. Make it easier to switch shifts or work around school or family obligations, if possible.
5. Foster community involvement. Building upon the family feeling, try encouraging opportunities to give back to the local community. Employees feel good knowing they are helping neighbors. And by letting employees choose the charity, it makes them feel even more involved and they know that you support causes they care about.

This is simply a sampling of ideas to keep your employees on board. At the end of the day, it’s all about making sure the people working for you feel that their contributions are valued. A happy employee is a loyal employee and one who is less likely to leave.