In many ways, there are similarities between the relationship one has with a romantic partner and the relationship one has with an employer. They both comprise a significant portion of your life, they both receive a large amount of your mental and emotional effort and, above all, they both require work to keep them running smoothly.
This Valentine’s Day, it’s a good idea to take the opportunity to assess more than just the health of your personal and romantic relationships. In the spirit of the holiday, it can be beneficial to explore some of the factors driving the relationship you have with your staff, how those relationships can be improved and how your employee retention may be affected.
Knowing when the romance fades
In the boardroom as in the bedroom, eventually the honeymoon comes to an end. This is, of course, not problematic in and of itself, but rather a natural progression of a relationship between two parties. The important thing is to be able to recognize when a relationship is simply experiencing its normal ups and downs and when there may actually be a problem that needs addressing. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, an estimated 2.7 million employees left their jobs in December 2014 alone. This type of severance and turnover is exactly what employers want to avoid.
Frustration and aggravation come with the territory in the workplace, but there are indicators that may be signs that an employee isn’t just feeling stressed out – they may be looking for a way out. Inc. magazine highlighted seven such symptoms, such as a sudden drop in productivity levels, withdrawal from workplace social interactions or employees who inexplicably dress up for work and request abnormal times off. If you notice any of these behaviors in your staff, it may be time to step up your wooing game.
Keeping the faith
Perhaps the biggest demotivator for employees is a lack of faith in their upper management. This can be brought on by any number of factors, from perceived broken employer promises – like a raise that never came – or a lack of progress in the organization as a whole.
Before jumping to HR services for dramatic Interventional measures, it may be worthwhile to approach disgruntled employees directly to hear their concerns. One major factor that can cause staff members to lose faith is the perception that their concerns don’t matter and aren’t being heard.