Companies spend billions of dollars on recruiting and interviewing, hoping they’ll hire the very best.  Every day, headhunters and your competitors are seeking ways to lure your most valuable employees away.   

Executives may care more about numbers and results than about people, but individual team members are far more concerned with company culture.  People leave managers, not companies; if you’re serious about keeping your best people make sure you’re giving them reasons to stay;

Communicating effectively
In recent Gallup research:

• Employees whose managers hold regular meeting with them are nearly three times as likely to be engaged.
• Managers who use a combination of face-to-face, phone and electronic communication are the most successful in engaging employees.
• Engaged employees report that when they leave a message for their manager, they receive a response within 24 hours.

Gallup also found employees valued communication from their managers about “what happens in their lives outside of work.”

Show appreciation
Neglecting to acknowledge and give praise for a job well done will make employees look somewhere else.

• Tell your people what they’re doing well.  Be sincere and be specific.  They’ll be motivated to do more of it.
• Everyone deserves commendation for something.  When you learn to identify, recognize and praise those achievements, you bring out the best in people.

Be flexible
Technology has changed the face of work.  If the job allows for working remotely, at least part-time, be open to it.  There are great tools to help workers be more efficient on their jobs and have fun in the process.

If you’re not flexible, you can be sure others are.

Follow through
Great managers:

• Take the lead
• Make tough decisions
• Make sure everyone understands the reasons behind the decisions
• Execute

Be decisive, say what you mean and mean what you say.  Keep everyone on the same page.  Then commit to following through.

Your best employees will be more engaged, appreciate the respect you give them and your emphasis on doing things right.  They will help your company be successful for years to come.