It’s been a great period for the Canadian economy. As we added the most jobs since December 2008 last March, hiring managers began quietly considering potential impact on their high performing employees.
Adding fuel to the fire is a recent survey found that 69% of workers said they definitely intend to look for a new job with another employer within the next year, with less than half of respondants reporting themselves as ‘happy’ in their current job.
So what can you do if you suspect your superstar employee is considering other options? Although money doesn’t hurt, evidence continually points to the fact that people who truly like their jobs are inclined to stay where they are.
So what do employees really want?
- One study found that 92 % of employees said that they would stay at a job for less money if they could attain better work-life balance and recognition for their efforts.
- Another survey from OfficeTeam found that 54 per cent of professionals interviewed would be somewhat or very likely to leave their current position if they didn’t feel appreciated by their manager.
It seems that a little recognition goes a very long way. From formal programs, to just a simple and straightforward ‘thank you’ for hard work, research supports this as the number-one thing that keeps an employee loyal and happy.
Some other ideas for retaining top talent are discussed in this Workopolis article. But the first thing you can do? Let people know they are doing a great job. It might just be enough to keep that superstar happy.