Employee Retention and Motivation Strategies

Additional HR Resources The Plus of "Us" DVD-based diversity training for employees and supervisors creates healthy workplace Select the Right Employee How to hire the best employee using behavioral interviewing The 4 Key Tools for Retention Four effective employee-attraction and -retention strategies Retain New Hires Learn how to implement a long-term onboarding program to engage new hires in this audio conference on CD The Engagement Factor Learn 30 ways to get employees to care about your business Multi-Generational Motivation How to engage the four diverse generations of your workforce On-Boarding and Retention How to keep your employees past the first 90 days Personal Problems at Work Guidance for HR when personal problems hamper productivity Engaging Off-Site Workers How supervisors manage and motivate their remote workforce Boosting Morale And individualized approach to boosting morale and the bottom line Social Media Virtual Summit Learn legally sound strategies to attract and retain talent in this extended web seminar Advice for HR Real-world advice for managing your daily HR challenges

In mid-summer of 2008, HR pros were worrying about the tight labor market and the challenges of finding and keeping good employees. With the drastic change in the economy and record-setting layoffs and business closings, human resources is now flooded with resumes even if they are not hiring or only hiring for an entry-level position.

But for many employees today, their career hopes and fears are very different. Many workers constantly live with the fear that they will be the next to be fired or laid off. And if an employee is in a difficult work situation, he may be willing to stay at his job when just a few months ago, he would have actively looked for another one.

Related articles on Retention and Motivation
Retention and Motivation tools for Employment Law Letter subscribers

While this may sound like employee retention and motivation shouldn't be high priorities for employers, it is more important now than ever to focus on developing a positive relationship with employees. If your company has had layoffs, furloughs, or a hiring freeze, the workers who are left are probably working harder than ever as they absorb the work that former employees did in addition to their existing jobs.

That sort of stress can cause employee morale to suffer terribly. And at some point, the economy will turn around and if employees believe they have been treated badly or were unappreciated for the work they did to help the company during the lean times, they will be the first to quit. That could leave an employer without its most talented or knowledgable employees right when it needs to start building and growing quickly.

Free White Paper: Giving Thanks: How to Show Employees They’re #1 Without Breaking the Bank

What motivates employees to stay and builds morale?
So what exactly can an employer do to retain good employees? While most view increased compensation as their primary solution to employee retention and motivation problems, the fact is that most employees place compensation so far down on their list of what makes a good employer that it’s essentially off the radar screen, while benefits -- such as health care -- rank very high.

Although surveys show that the youngest employees, those ages 18-24, cite a raise as key to their decision to stay with a company, those employees remain in the minority — and continue to be the employees most willing to jump ship. General expectations are that as these young employees mature and take on more responsibilities, other concerns will dominate.

So then the question becomes how do employers continue to sell the job to an employee when increasing his pay is no longer an option? Surveys have revealed some of the top qualities employees seek in their employers. Among them: work that is meaningful, challenging, and offers training and development opportunities, management that assists and supports, but doesn’t dictate, explicit awareness of life beyond the office, an array of core benefits and the power of choice. For more ideas on low- or no-cost ways to boost employee morale, retention, and motivation, download the free HR Hero white paper Giving Thanks: How to Show Employees They’re #1 Without Breaking the Bank.

Audio Conference: Keep Employees Engaged and Slash Turnover: Secrets of the Great Workplaces and 30 Ways to Engage Employees So They'll Act Like They Own the Place

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Related articles on the Employee Retention and Motivation Strategies featured in HR Hero Line, HR Hero White Papers, and the Employment Law Post

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• Pets in the Office
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• Financial Crisis Should Boost Work-Life Benefits
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• Yahoo for Google!
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• Playing at Work and Working at Play
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HR Tools for Retention and Motivation

• Sample Policy - Vacation
• Sample Policy - Holidays
• Sample Policy - Sick Leave
• Sample Policy - Personal Leave Time
• Sample Policy - Paid Time Off
• Sample Policy - Life-Threatening, Contagious, and/or Debilitating Illness
• Sample Policy - Family and Medical Leave
• Sample Policy - Military/Reserve Leave
• Sample Policy - Bereavement Leave
• Sample Policy - Jury Duty/Witness Service
• Sample Policy - Time Off to Vote
• Sample Policy - Personal Leave of Absence
• Sample Policy -Eligibility for Benefits
• Sample Policy - Health and Welfare Benefits
• Sample Policy - Domestic Partner Benefits
• Sample Policy - 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
• Sample Policy - Retirement Plan
• Sample Policy - Employee Recognition Programs
• Sample Policy - Employee Assistance Program
• Sample Policy - Tuition Reimbursement
• Sample Policy - MBA Program
• Sample Policy - Adoption Assistance
• Sample Policy - Employee Activities
• Sample Policy - Service Awards
• Sample Policy - Continuation of Health Plan Coverages