Retention of staff vital in recession

It seems a bit strange to be talking about managing attrition and retention when the current climate in the Gulf is more focused on getting through the difficult times that every marketplace in the world has suffered from over the past year or so.

I'm very strongly of the view though that these issues are critical and need to be addressed now; otherwise when the "good times" come around again your really talented and conscientious employees will go looking for that new job because they don't feel that they have been looked after during these challenging times.

Experience and research has suggested that there are five key ways to improve attrition rates in your organisation.

First on the list is capability development. Looking at attrition and how to improve it is all about "how can I keep my staff motivated?" If you refer to any motivational theory, personal development is always a high motivator. Looking for ways to improve the capabilities of any employee is good for the organisation, the customer and the employee themselves. This is about having programmes and methods that allow employees to develop (not necessarily all about training programmes — I prefer to focus on "on the job" development with support from line managers who know what they are doing).

Secondly, communication is key to any successful organisation! It is important that employees feel part of the brand, and understand what the organisation is trying to achieve and the part that they have to play in making it happen. Attrition rates from my experience tend to be higher when employees feel disengaged and hence the need to take seriously any employee engagement information that you may have. Engagement is not the next HR fad, it's proven to be a part of improving business performance - ignore its power at your peril!

Thirdly, it is about individual progression. This isn't always about career progression as the majority of people in most organisations aren't necessarily career orientated. This is about new job opportunities and challenging new tasks/projects etc. with there being an infrastructure that supports progression.

Fourthly, management style is an important factor. This area is closely linked to communication. Does an employee feel valued? Do they want to come to work? There is an old adage that "you don't leave an organisation, you leave your manager". This is about leaders creating a great place to work, with an element of fun and hard work.

Last but not the least is work-life balance. This isn't always easy to achieve. Employees have to understand that the organisation must meet its customers' demands, while the organisation needs to understand that employees have external pressures as well and do all it can to help them.

I guess I'm saying that if you understand and appreciate what motivates employees and what de-motivates them, you then know which areas to focus on to improve attrition and retain those employees that every organisation can't do without - the talented worker! Many believe that pay and benefits have a significant impact on their attrition rate.

Try to measure what is going in your organisation as this will provide you with the story to take action rather than relying upon your perceptions.

- Dave Millner is consulting director of Kenexa EMEA