If you are a hiring manager with a strong team, it can become stressful to think of losing your talent. Great team members are valuable which means other companies are trying to poach your best employees.
Is it ethical? At the end of the day, if a competitor is offering something better than what your staff members currently have – why would they say no?
Yes, there are instances where ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ – but it should not give you a sense of paranoia. Instead, it should encourage you to create an environment where people want to stay and grow in the long run. Our team of legal recruiting specialists put together a list of must-haves for ensuring healthy retention at any firm.
Here are 3 ways to reduce the likelihood of your team getting poached.
1.) Monitor team morale.
You can often gauge the strength of team morale from the overall engagement and enthusiasm of your staff. Burnout happens – which is why it is critical for leaders to know when to step in and assess a situation. Overwhelming tasks and short deadlines over time will wear out even the most ambitious of professionals. Why? Often because of a lack of recognition or support.
Encourage your team to ask for help when needed- especially before things get out of hand. The last thing you want is to create a culture where no one asks for help and everyone is struggling. If someone believes that it does not matter if they are in the office, then they will believe that it won’t matter if they decide to leave. Happy employees tend to stay and unhappy employees leave, and they often take others with them.
So how do we boost team morale? Make sure to implement gratitude into your team’s schedule, such as “casual Fridays” and a consistent “thank you” for a job well done. Check-ins are also essential for any manager and staff member. Don’t conduct check-ins just because you notice something is off.
If you do, then check-ins will be associated with negative performance reviews and employees may get defensive. Instead, create a welcoming environment and an open conversation. Ask about how their family is doing. Ask them if there is anything that could enhance their productivity in the workplace. Active listening and showing genuine interest are crucial here. When you strengthen your relationship with your team, you also strengthen team morale.
2.) Pay your team fairly.
Top talent knows their value. If you are not paying your people fairly, then you are setting yourself up for a poaching scenario. Performance-related bonuses are ideal as they encourage team members to go beyond their expectations.
Additional paid time off is also a great way to incentivize your top talent. And of course, make sure that if you are offering PTO to your employees, there should be no stigma when they request to use it. A common issue we see with employers that offer unlimited PTO to their employees is that they never use it. This is usually because staff can feel stigmatized for asking to use it or they no longer see the value in it as it is unlimited.
Offering a hybrid schedule is also a great benefit that many employers are now competitively offering. Countless professionals have been pushing for more remote work options, so offering this to your staff is invaluable and shows that you trust them.
It is also important to mention that long-term employees should be fairly compensated for their loyalty. Remember, hiring new employees is always more tedious than retaining current employees. Ideally, you want everyone on your team to stay for the long run. Make sure to show appreciation for those who do.
3.) Invest in your team.
Employees want to be invested in and grow. That makes sense, right? In a performance culture, firms need to create value beyond that of their service. Management needs to invest in learning and development so their team can thrive. Make the development process so great that it deters early departures.
So what are some ways to invest in your team? Training and skill development is a great start. Make sure that you are offering conference and webinar opportunities for your staff. A lot of these events are eligible for CPE and CLE credits – which your staff will probably need anyway. Offering this on behalf of your company creates value and shows appreciation.
Making sure your team also works comfortably is also incredibly important. This doesn’t mean just having free snacks – it means much more. Providing upgrades to workplace furniture is a great start to investing in your staff. Dual monitors and comfy ergonomic chairs are a necessity for those that constantly sit at their desks and take calls. Not sure where to start? We recommend asking your staff directly or sending them a survey where they can vote anonymously on what they would like to have in the office.
In order to take your company to the next level – you have to take your team to the next level. You will not be able to do that with stagnant skill sets – which is why it’s essential to constantly push your staff to grow professionally.
Poaching can be scary for any employer – but shouldn’t be for those who are proactive. By implementing these 3 tips, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of your team getting poached.