At MM Search, we understand that a business is only as good as the people in it, and our experts are sharing their inside knowledge and ideas to help boost staff retention.
This week, MM Search’s Business Delivery Manager, Ewen Macphie, highlights the importance of open and honest communication when holding on to top talent.
From forming an initial rapport to ensuring staff members feels valued, a strong internal communication strategy can make the difference between an engaged employee and a letter of resignation. Here I am exploring some ways you can enhance your communication strategy and build positive and productive working partnerships that go the distance.
Show your appreciation
Recognising employees’ achievements and communicating your appreciation can have several benefits, including enhancing employee engagement, improving job satisfaction and encouraging motivation. In addition, acknowledging the contributions of individual staff members can have a tangible impact on retention, with one survey by Office Team finding that 66% of employees would leave their role due to feeling unappreciated.
How you communicate the recognition of success will depend on your individual business structure. You may opt to acknowledge their work privately, through an email or phone call, or in a public forum such as a company meeting or team newsletter. Regularly highlighting employees’ positive work may also help motivate other team members and boost overall engagement.
Encourage feedback
Good communication must be a two-way street and by encouraging your team to share open and honest feedback, you may be able to make changes and improvements that boost retention. For example, some of the top reasons for leaving a job include a lack of development opportunities and a work-life imbalance. These are often preventable issues, and with an open communication strategy, it may be possible to understand your employees’ aspirations and goals and learn how to support them before they feel the need to look elsewhere.
You might use several methods to gather invaluable insights from your team, such as satisfaction or engagement surveys and one-to-one reviews. For your feedback strategy to be effective, it is crucial that employees feel that they can be open and honest and that their thoughts are being listened to. By giving your team a voice and including their feedback in your strategies, it may also be possible to enhance their engagement and reduce turnover.
Share business news
Sharing the business’s goals, targets, successes, and challenges can help employees feel included and highlight how they contribute to the big picture. By being transparent with your team about any business changes, you may also build trust within the organisation while easing anxieties and demonstrating effective leadership. All these factors can contribute to enhancing employee engagement and, therefore, lowering staff churn.
For internal communications to be truly effective, it is essential to structure them correctly and to consider which channels are most appropriate. For example, companywide newsletters can be a helpful tool, however, if several are being sent each week, you may find that important messaging is missed or misinterpreted. Instead, it may be more effective to implement a regular meeting, arrange one-to-one conversations or schedule video conferences to ensure key messages are conveyed correctly.
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