In addition to the fight for customers, the solution of technical challenges, and the conversion of numerous process measures to retain employees in times of crisis seem almost like a luxury. But that is too short-sighted. Anyone who now loses sight of their employees may risk a personnel collapse – at the latest when the economy recovers. Which is important to keep the workforce to the company even in uncertain times.
Why employee loyalty is important, especially when the sea is rough
Of course: employee loyalty is fundamentally a central issue in companies that should never be ignored per se. In times like these, retention management becomes even more important. Doesn’t make sense – where should your own employees migrate to given the idle job market?
That may be true for the moment, but it is too short-sighted. Especially now, motivated employees are a decisive productivity factor, and, at the latest when your company picks up speed again, you need all men (and of course every woman) on deck. Because this crisis will also pass at some point and there will be more recruits again. With competitors, possibly earlier than in your company.
Luxury liner or rather a soul seller? The crisis brings it to light
Realize that the past few months have not only been a challenge from a business perspective. You also demanded a lot from employees: The move from old to new work almost overnight has left its mark on employees. Completely new forms of work, significantly more personal responsibility, in some cases even an extraordinarily high workload or short-time work due to the crisis. And that at a time that is already characterized by great uncertainties. If employees feel abandoned by their employer in this situation, there is a high probability that they will take the first opportunity to change jobs.
The good news: Companies that are now intensifying retention management are not just keeping employees. At the same time, you can relatively easily secure a competitive advantage in terms of employer branding and position yourself well for the upcoming era.
Together through stormy times: Staying on the pulse of the crew
That sets the course: Take a close look at how your team is doing with the far-reaching changes that have come down on them in the past few months. What experiences have the employees had, what knowledge gained? How do you face the return to the old working day? The dialogue with the team should be right at the top of the agenda of HR professionals at the moment. This enables acute problems to be identified and resolved at an early stage. In addition, employee surveys can provide additional valuable information. A positive side effect: You give the employees the good feeling that their opinion is valued.
Even if the coffers are empty: The wages have to be right
The cost pressure has increased immensely in many companies and the labor market is still relatively idle. It is tempting to push the salary as far as possible for new hires. But not a good idea in the long run. Mutinies have become rare, but the uncomfortable truth is: You get what you pay for. With a salary below the industry average, you not only run the risk that the new hire will soon accept a better offer. Employees who do not feel adequately paid are often less engaged and productive.
This is why you should pay fair salaries. As is generally known, employees cannot be kept with money alone. However, measures for employee loyalty usually come to nothing if there is a fundamental dissatisfaction.
More efficient and cheaper than a bottle full of rum: With this, you can keep employees
If the framework conditions are right, however, employee loyalty can be increased relatively easily and without a high financial outlay. Much more important than cost-intensive measures is the willingness to respond to employees and break away from old patterns. These are the most important starting points:
- Appreciation: Attentive questions about the work situation and well-being as well as praise and thanks, where they are appropriate, give employees the feeling of being seen and are currently more important than ever.
- Communication and transparency: Crises bring with them uncertainty. Counteract this with clear and consistent communication. Keep the workforce informed, even with minor course corrections. If your company hasn’t been one of the most transparent ones, now is a good time to change that. Your employees should know what they are committed to.
- Flexibility: New forms of work and processes demand a lot of flexibility from your employees. You should also show this in return, for example, if there are bottlenecks in childcare. The trust in a balanced gives and take leads to a stronger bond of the employees to the company.
- Remuneration: When large salary increases are not possible at the moment, transparent communication is the best way to understand. One option can be the disclosure of business figures. In addition, perspectives are asked: What has to happen so that you can talk about salary adjustments again? Also, consider whether you will offer the whole team a bonus to motivate them if you achieve a certain business result.
- Well-being: The weekly company yoga, the massage during the break and the Friday after-work drink on the roof terrace – the usual happiness-makers are currently not possible. Get creative and find appropriate replacements for the situation. Benefits only work if they are tailored to your workforce and offer employees real added value. Access to online yoga classes can be a good idea, a webinar on relaxation techniques, or an online escape game for team building. Measures such as an appointment for a virtual after-work beer or lunch are nice add-ons, but they shouldn’t be sold as real benefits. That quickly looks ridiculous.
- Perspectives: In particular, employees who have taken on non-specialist or additional tasks in an exceptional situation need to be sure that this is only a temporary solution. If the impression arises that they are permanently nailed to it, this can trigger the uncomfortable feeling of being stuck in a professional dead end. It is therefore essential to discuss medium to long-term goals and support further training measures.
If you can send positive signals in these areas, employee commitment can be increased across the board. Fundamentally, commitment is and will of course remain a very individual matter. In addition to working on the basics, you cannot avoid dealing with the needs of the individual. If in doubt, the line manager knows them best. Ideally, you should therefore actively involve all managers in your employee loyalty program.
Stay on course even when visibility is poor: KPIs for loyalty to the company
Retention management can sometimes feel like poking around in the fog. Unfortunately, it is usually not possible to determine immediately whether measures to retain staff will keep the crew on board for a longer period of time or whether you are doing the work for free. These key figures indicate whether you are on the right course:
- Employee Commitment Index: The most direct (albeit quite laborious) way to find out how your employees are connected is to tell them about their condition and theirs regularly To ask attitudes towards the company.
- Fluctuation: How many employees do you leave on average each year, what is the situation in the individual departments and what are the trends? The answers are particularly revealing when compared to other industries.
- The average length of service: This figure provides information about the stability of the workforce.
- Absence rate: Above-average sick leave can indicate stress and dissatisfaction.
- Suggestions for improvement: Only employees who want to achieve something together with their current employer make suggestions for improvement. Evaluate how often your call is followed.
- Interest in internal job advertisements: The response to internal advertisements reveals a lot about the attractiveness of an employer. Especially if top performers show no interest in further career options in the company, you should pay attention.
- Employee recommendations: Only satisfied employees will encourage friends and acquaintances to apply to you as well.