6 Unique Strategies to Reduce Employee Turnover in Your Organization
In the quest to minimize employee turnover, we’ve gathered unique strategies from six CEOs and managers. From prioritizing cultural fit during the hiring process to conducting proactive stay interviews, these leaders offer a wealth of knowledge. Dive into our comprehensive guide to discover how prioritizing cultural fit and conducting stay interviews can transform your retention efforts.
- Prioritize Cultural Fit in Hiring
- Empower Preferred Work Styles
- Customize ‘Tours of Duty’ for Growth
- Foster a Culture of Advancement
- Implement Reverse Mentoring Program
- Conduct Proactive Stay Interviews
Prioritize Cultural Fit in Hiring
Focusing a lot more on cultural fit in hiring, even more so than on requisite skills. We’ve been in business as a provider of hybrid workforce management solutions well before they became in vogue during the pandemic, which meant that we always wanted to hire people who believed in the mission—that hybrid work is the best solution for businesses, governments, and individuals alike.
Having this as a starting point, and combining that with a flexible working environment and all the usual benefits, makes turnover much less of an issue, as we are all aligned on what we’re actually trying to accomplish. That goes a long way, in my experience.
Dragos Badea
CEO, Yarooms
Empower Preferred Work Styles
One of the bigger issues that causes turnover, in my experience, is the leader of the organization refusing to be flexible to the needs and desires of their employees. This always struck me as kind of backward thinking, because why would I hire someone only to then hamstring the preferred method they have of working? The method in which they would be most effective?
I’ve found it much more productive to empower employees to follow their preferred ways of working and schedules to ensure they are able to do their work and maintain their life with as little added stress from me as possible. Setting company-wide ways of working is all fine and good, but there is a lot to be said for customizing per employee in smaller enterprises.
Kate Kandefer
CEO, SEOwind
Customize ‘Tours of Duty’ for Growth
At EchoGlobal, we implemented customized “tours of duty” aligning individual growth aspirations with organizational needs on 18-24-month horizons.
First, managers conduct exploratory check-ins on employee skills, values, and interests to chart enrichment pathways. Next, possibilities are discussed for rotating roles and responsibilities to broaden capabilities in alignment with business requirements. Mobility options might encompass lateral moves, short-term stretch assignments, or shifting geo-mix based on life-stage factors. Finally, we collaboratively map out an adaptability roadmap, enabling employees to toggle between challenges and continuity.
By proactively realigning duties more fluidly, we meet in-the-moment needs while expanding longer-term capacity. It’s a win-win for purpose-driven professionals—increased enrichment pathways fueling their growth multiplies organizational preparedness to tap evolving potential with agility.
Lou Reverchuk
Co-Founder and CEO, EchoGlobal
Foster a Culture of Advancement
Our secret for reducing turnover is a strong culture of learning and advancement. Through mentorships, stretch assignments, and tuition reimbursement, we show employees they can grow here. We promote from within whenever possible and check in regularly on job satisfaction. Supporting their development makes employees feel valued. Last year, voluntary turnover declined from 22% to 12% thanks to our career development programs.
Gregory Rozdeba
CEO, Dundas Life
Implement Reverse Mentoring Program
Our organization has implemented a unique strategy: the Reverse Mentoring Program. This initiative is designed to allow younger or less-experienced employees to lead in mentoring their senior colleagues, particularly in areas such as technology and current trends.
This fosters a dynamic knowledge exchange within the team, creating a collaborative learning environment that transcends traditional hierarchies. It encourages senior employees to embrace new perspectives and insights from their younger counterparts, promoting cross-generational collaboration.
One of the key benefits we’ve observed is the enhancement of job satisfaction among participants, hence facilitating skill transfer and building strong professional relationships within the team.
In summary, this initiative has effectively reduced turnover by creating a workplace culture that values continuous learning, mutual respect, and each team member’s diverse expertise.
Peter Bryla
Community Manager, ResumeLab
Conduct Proactive Stay Interviews
Stay interviews involve regularly sitting down with employees to proactively discuss their job satisfaction, career goals, and any concerns they may have.
Unlike exit interviews, which happen when an employee is leaving, stay interviews aim to identify issues early and address them before they lead to turnover. Engaging in an open and candid conversation with employees can help organizations gain valuable insights into what motivates their team members, what challenges they are facing, and how to improve their overall work experience. This is a proactive approach that can help build stronger relationships between employees and the organization, ultimately reducing turnover by addressing issues before they escalate.
Madison T
Ecommerce Manager, My Supplement Store
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