Maximizing the Human Potential

How to Avoid Having Dissatisfied Employees

By

how to avoid hearing i quit andrew shaffer consultingI’ve had some serious writers block today, so I scrolled through some social media to see what inspiring things people are posting, or articles that are being shared. I thought I’d write about something that seems to be on the minds of other people. I found it quite surprising, that there were a lot of articles and statistics about people quitting their jobs to find new work. One article went so far as to state 60% of all employees have quit or are considering quitting right now! Do you have dissatisfied employees? Are your employees looking for a new job? How would you know?

How to Avoid Hearing “I Quit!”

As a business owner or a team leader you know how costly turnover can be to your bottom line. Retention is especially important when you have highly skilled workers that are in demand. I recently wrote a blog on the key to retention. In today’s economy there are more jobs available than people to fill them, and highly skilled workers are in high demand.

To be completely honest, I have quit more than one job and it took my boss by surprise. When I give an honest assessment of my performance leading up to deciding it was time to move on, the signs were obvious. If your employees are displaying any of the following traits, it’s a good idea to talk with them about their future.

Engagement

For the weeks, and months prior to ever leaving a job, there was almost always a lack of engagement in my work. I was doing my work, but I’d have a tendency to procrastinate, or let a task take longer than was necessary. During this time, I would participate less in meetings, and was reluctant to volunteer for any “extra” assignments. I didn’t necessarily do this on purpose, but most of the time, my mind was elsewhere. Sometimes, I was thinking about where I wanted to work next, or other things I’d rather be doing. I would easily be distracted by non-work-related things which resulted in a lack of concentrated focus on my current job.

High performers generally have a high level of engagement. They bring excitement and enthusiasm to their work which drives them to be top performers. As a leader, it is important to monitor and observe changes in behavior in your employees. Changes in behavior, and engagement, are symptoms of an underlying issue. When you observe these symptoms, it is in your best interest to identify issues quickly and resolve them if you can.

Absenteeism

Employees looking for new work tend to miss work more often. If they are less engaged and can be doing something else, they are more likely to do so. Also, if your employees are looking for work, they are likely to take time off to attend job fairs, networking events, or even interview for another job. Unplanned or one day time off can be an indicator that someone is looking for another job.

Absenteeism isn’t always manifested in unplanned time off or time off with short notice. Often times, it is strolling in just a few minutes later than normal. Nothing completely unusual, but a sign that getting to the office wasn’t a priority. Leaving promptly and taking longer than usual lunch breaks are also signs of absenteeism. If you notice a high performer taking more time off than usual, or longer breaks than they are accustomed to, this could be a sign someone is looking for another job.

Productivity

Your high performers are high performers because they are productive. I mean these are the people you count on when things absolutely have to get done, right? Productivity decreases as engagement decreases. This can sometimes be difficult to spot, but the signs are there. High performers, engaged or not, will still be productive. They are wired that way, and really don’t know how to not be productive. However, there will be signs of slowed productivity. Maybe they are completing tasks on time, instead of beating deadlines. Another symptom could be turning acceptable work quality instead of the exceptional work they typically provide.

This Week’s Challenge

Dissatisfied employees always leave signals of their dissatisfaction. Attentive leaders are tuned into changes in behavior and are willing to take action. In an economy where the employer is at a disadvantage, and qualified highly skilled employees are in demand, ensure your leaders are watching for signs that your best talent is looking for another job. Being proactive with your employees can help you retain your best performers and keep your competitive edge.

If you would like to discuss more ways to help your business grow or if you feel you have a specific problem that needs to be addressed, please reach out to me.

What Is The Key To Retention?

By

key to retention Andrew Shaffer ConsultingLast week, I was at an event of Cybersecurity Association of Maryland Inc. (CAMI) event. CAMI brought in Mike Aiello, a Cybersecurity Executive at Google, for a fireside chat. There wasn’t an actual fire, but they did have a fire projected on wall complete with crackling wood sound effects. While waiting for the chat to start I was networking with a couple other guys and I told them I help with employee retention. One of the gentlemen said he offers 15-minute seated massages every month and he doesn’t have an issue with retention. Then they asked me what was the key to retention. Although each company has unique solutions, I thought I’d share some general ideas you can tailor to your company.

What Is The Key To Retention?

Over the course of my career, I had many people come and go from my team. Some were offered promotions, some retired, and others just resigned to work elsewhere. Most of the time, I wasn’t surprised. People rarely retire on a whim,  and as a manager, I knew who was ready for a promotion. I also knew who just didn’t fit. However there was one individual, when he turned in his resignation, I was completely caught off guard. He was a high potential employee, and I recognized that. He received good marks on his performance evaluations, received better than average merit increases, yet he decided to work for another company. What happened and how could I have prevented a talented employee from leaving?

Purpose

There are many reasons why people leave their jobs. One of the major drivers for people leaving a job is a lack of purpose. People want to know their work matters, and that they are contributing to something greater than themselves. Sure, people can be motivated by a paycheck, but typically once the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing are met, people look for the next level of purpose.

People have a need to know that the work they are doing everyday makes a difference. When people do not understand how their contribution impacts the overall success of the business, team or organization, they tend to lose motivation. A lack of motivation manifests in two symptoms, complacency for those that are less driven, and losing valuable employees for those more driven. Demonstrating to your team how the purpose of their contribution to a successful company can help you prevent losing your valuable employees.

Challenging Work

Knowing that your work has purpose, and contributes to the success of the company is great. But for many individuals, especially the more driven employees, there is a need for challenging work. Time after time, I have observed motivated individuals step up when the things become challenging to solve the really hard problems. I have seen people volunteer for what looks like a no-win situation only to work through it and find success. Side note – these are the people that end up finding their careers on a fast track to the top.  Top performers are rarely complacent with the status quo. They thrive on challenges, relish in the learning, and find satisfaction in the growth. This is where I failed my former employee. I could not find challenging work for him, and he went and found the work for himself.

Advancement

Top performers aren’t always looking for the glory of advancement and new job titles. Although most of them do appreciate it. Your top performers are looking for new challenges that would come from the opportunity for advancement. This could come in the way of job promotions, more prestigious assignments, or pay increases. The driven and motivated employees that inevitably are your top performers want to keep moving forward. Employees do not want career paths ahead to be limiting. Because, this is demotivating and causes frustration. Offering clear development programs, with a corresponding career path will help you keep your top performers.

This Week’s Challenge

The most expensive employee is the one that leaves and you had no idea. The cost of replacing valuable employees is extremely high, with lost productivity, learning curves, recruiting and onboarding. This week, take time to identify your top performers and take actions that provide them with purpose, meaning and opportunity and see your retention numbers improve.

If you would like to discuss more ways to help your business grow or if you feel you have a specific problem that needs to be addressed, please reach out to me.

What were they thinking?

By

andrew shaffer consulting what were they thinking employee moraleOccasionally, I hear a story that just makes me stop dead in my tracks, and say, “Really? What were they thinking?” These stories come in different varieties, from not watching market trends to see new technologies, allowing complacency in the workplace drive them to be obsolete, or not investing in employees because they might leave. This week I am going to share one of these stories with you.

What were they thinking?

I had a meeting with someone that was referred to me for some advice. He explained that at his company they just survived a major crisis. In the middle of the crisis his boss quit, leaving him to pull the pieces together. After several weeks of long days with no breaks, they resolved the crisis. It was a tremendous learning experience with the most important lesson that he didn’t want to do that again. He was seeking advice on what he could do to make sure he, and the company, didn’t have to go through that again.

My advice was to take some training to learn how to recognize and prevent a crisis like this from happening again. He wasn’t sure if his company would be able or willing to pay for the training, so he decided he’d cover the training if his company would give him the flexibility to make up his hours for the time he was missing. Essentially, he wasn’t asking for the company to invest any money, just some flexibility. They refused to give him the flexibility because they were afraid if he learned more, and became more valuable, he’d leave. That response never works, and here are a few of the impacts of this type of thinking.

Morale

That kind of response is a morale killer. Morale in the workplace has a bigger impact on profitability than you might think. Low morale kills creativity and problem-solving thinking. In cultures where morale is low, people are willing to accept the status quo, and think they can’t affect the outcome and just try to survive. This is what happened at the company I described. Low morale causes management to think only about surviving, and they can’t see the benefit of avoiding problems in the future. Create a culture with high morale, and you’ll no longer be facing the same problems. Your company will switch from survival mode to thriving mode.

Productivity

What do you think happens when you tell an employee that they don’t matter? How does that impact productivity? It kills it! At different points in my career, I had felt that my efforts were unappreciated, even if I’d go above and beyond to achieve a significant accomplishment. As a result, I withdrew. I lost all motivation and my productivity plummeted. I did enough to stay out of trouble, but when it was 5:00, I was out the door. Therefore, I have observed top producers quickly turn into mediocre performers when they are not appreciated. On the other hand, according to Gallup, companies with high morale (highly engaged) were 17% more productive than companies with low engagement.

Retention

Loss of productivity and low morale are probably the best scenarios you can hope for. High turnover is extremely expensive to a company. It’s no secret that in today’s economy highly skilled workers are in high demand. There are more jobs available than people to fill them. Also, according to that same Gallup Report, 51% of the American workforce is looking for a new job! According to a paper written by the Center for American Progress, replacing skilled workers could cost up to 216% of an employee salary. And in every case, where I have observed low morale, there is an issue with employee turnover!

This Week’s Challenge

It is no secret that the secret to growing your company is by growing your people.  Invest in your people and you’ll create a loyal, productive, and profitable team.

If you would like to discuss more ways to help your business grow or if you feel you have a specific problem that needs to be addressed, please reach out to me.