Retaining ShiningStars

Retaining ShiningStars

“High expectations are the key to everything.”  – Sam Walton

In general, employees tend to perform only as much as what the manager expects of them, but there are a few people who have high expectations for themselves and who perform above what is asked. You can’t deny it, you love those star employees! They just make your life so much easier, and they don’t even seem to ask much or to complain – they are self-motivated and are determined to shine!
But where does this attitude come from? I believe that for someone to go above and beyond and to do their best, they have to want to shine from within. Work has to be very meaningful to them; otherwise, they won’t feel the need to improve their productivity. One thing is for sure, people want to feel that they matter at work. They need to know that whatever they are doing is contributing to something great and that they are doing a good job.

According to David McClelland, high achievers like to receive feedback on their contributions. These people seem more concerned with personal achievement than with the monetary rewards of success. This means that it is imperative to establish a performance evaluation system to discuss goals and expectations for employees and to keep communication open. However, the communication should not be one way; both sides should talk about the tasks at hand and discuss the best way to take care of them. I think a lot of managers are afraid to ask people what motivates them because they are afraid that employees will ask for raises, but, from my own experience, I know that money is not always a key motivator. Sometimes, people want to be acknowledged and praised for their contribution, they may want to have the freedom to choose what projects they work on, or even something simple like having the option to decorate their workstation. Most of the time, people will be motivated by a manager’s willingness to hear them out and to help them.
So, how can managers make sure that they empower and retain employees?

1. Sit down with them! Managers should schedule one-on-one meetings with employees to ask them about how well they think they are doing on their projects. Listen to what the employees have to say, find out what their goals and challenges are, and coach them in the areas in which they need help.
2.  Provide constructive feedback! Most employers have some kind of performance measurement system in place, but they have to make sure that they communicate their expectations consistently and regularly instead of waiting until the annual evaluations take place.
3. Personalize rewards! Employees should be distinguished and properly rewarded for their work on a daily basis, but in order to do a good job empowering employees, we need to know what motivates them. If we don’t know what motivates individual employees, just ask them!

In conclusion, keep in mind that employers have to always invest in enhancing human capital – their most precious asset. They need to develop a partnership atmosphere to help develop those shining stars and to allow them to grow. Great employees are too hard to find and too expensive to loose, so they should be motivated everyday and throughout the year.
Do you treat employees as partners? What are you doing to motivate them? What are the rewards for your company to hire and retain the best? I would love to hear your answers! Post them below in the comment section!

Photo Courtesy of Karen Colligan