Benefits, Respect and Retention
by Miki Saxon
Why is common sense often treated like rocket science?
If you want to increase your overall retention rate start by respecting your people.
There are too many managers who only respect their ‘stars’ and then wonder why turnover is rampant in the rest of the organization.
Then there are the legions of managers who believe that if they can’t demonstrate their respect with perks because their budget was cut there is no way to prove they value their people.
Ahem! Respect isn’t a matter of perks.
You’re people aren’t stupid, they know the score, so tell them the truth and build trust.
Provide what tangible proof you can to show that you value your workers, from health care to chocolate, but don’t insult them by saying the company can’t afford something when it obviously can.
Respect isn’t about benefits and benefits, no matter how exotic, don’t give you the right to disrespect them.
Nor will benefits underwrite bad management—you don’t get to micromanage, insult, play favorites, or bully your people just because the company offers health insurance.
The bottom line is simple—if you treat your people as replaceable don’t be surprised when you have the opportunity to do so.
Flickr image credit: Martin Abegglen
