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Are you afraid of change? Then so are your employees. We might say we want change in some areas of our lives, but most of us are looking for stability. Deep down inside, we all have a fear of change.
Considering changing jobs may be enticing for your employees, but most know the reality can be much different. Your employees want to stay where they are. Asking them what would make that possible can be a good place to start.
For business leaders seeking ways to deal with the changing worker-employer environment, Seth Morgan, MLA CEO offers key advice. Make your company a great place to work.
Voluntary turnover, which is employees deciding to leave, is reaching all-time high levels. And the tight labor market means that cost of retaining employees is often less than replacing them. A recent report details several factors that affect employees’ decisions to stay where they are. These include paid leave, flexibility, use of technology, and employee well-being.
This highlights the many things that affect an employee’s long-term relationship with their employer. But problems in systems or expectations can also contribute. We’ve seen issues that are assumed to be with the employee turn out to be in the way the job or department is structured. No one had really paid attention to what these workers were dealing with. As a result, everyone was putting the blame somewhere else, and no one felt empowered to improve the situation.
Doug LeConey, MLA Principal worked with one of these clients and helped them create clear reporting that everyone could access and understand. “Once we got the information where everyone could see it, this visibility created accountability,” Doug observes. “With this clearer perspective, employees were more engaged because their efforts would not go unnoticed.” As a result, everyone could see the difference their efforts made to improve the bottom line.
The current business environment is stressful. One MLA client recently told us, “The worst part of my job is finding out whose leaving.” In that environment, it’s easy for employers to focus on who’s not there and overlook the employees who are. But the employees who have stuck around can be your best source of ideas and effort to help bring about a bigger change.
Having an open conversation with them about their experience at work is an excellent place to start. And MLA can help you do that.