CHICAGO–Anyone can hire top people. But how do you create an environment that keeps them around?
While the job market has become muted as the result of the pandemic, people with desirable skills continue to find job opportunity. Retaining top talent is a question tackled by Marcel Schwantes, founder and chief human offer with Leadership from the Core. Schwantes put the question of how to retain top talent to five executives, and here is what he found, as first published on Inc.com.
Create innovation incubators.
"Mix up team members and create groups that are tasked specifically with coming up with new innovative ideas," Shelly Sun, Founder and CEO of Bright Star Care told Schwantes. “You are giving your employees the opportunity to think of nontraditional projects and that might often not be in their day-to-day scope of work.”
This will encourage employees to stay on their toes, and continually surprise management with what they're capable of.
Focus on What People Do as Well as How They Think
Leaders often concentrate on the outcome or result and seldom think about how a team or team member approached the strategy or idea that lead to its success, observed Schwantes. Behind every successful accomplishment is a way of thinking, particular to an individual or group, that made the success possible.
"Help individuals understand how they approach critical thinking and identify other projects to challenge and grow this muscle," Tony Libardi, president of Marco’s Pizza, told Schwantes. "This will show your employees that you truly value their mind and motivate them to utilize their unique approach to problem-solving."
Axe the Org Chart
According to Schwantes, titles and boxes place limitations on both you and your team members, and can ultimately discourage opportunities to showcase talent. When you create a collaborative work environment where team members are empowered to share ideas, it's likely expertise will emerge that you didn't even know was there, he wrote.
"When we're trying to move the needle in our business, we build 'Functional Work Groups' tasked with tackling specific projects," Ken Hutcheson, president of U.S. Lawns, told Schwantes. "These groups are made up of team members from a variety of experience levels and departments to add value and fresh perspectives to the project at hand.”
The key is to make it known that titles are left at the door, which encourages team members to show off their otherwise hidden talents.
Trade Fear for Freedom
The idea of allowing team members some freedom and autonomy to resolve their challenges within a certain framework can help employees to learn quickly and educate themselves faster through experience, observed Schwantes.
"As a leader, get comfortable with the idea of allowing your staff to make mistakes to ensure they have the opportunity to learn from those mistakes," David Mesa, Chief Development Officer of PJ’s Coffee, told Schwantes. “It's about guiding your employees through a process that allows them to learn faster and become more vested in the tasks and company as a result.”
All the while this creates a culture of psychological safety that allows plenty of room for free thinkers.
Get Your Team Outside of Their Comfort Zone
According to Schwantes, it's essential to encourage your employees to go beyond their comfort zone by pushing them to take on challenges that involve different skill sets.
"Start them off with tasks that may not have as much pressure as others, and be sure to keep track of your teammates' process while providing guidance whenever needed," John Patinella, the CEO and president of Money Mailer, told Schwantes. "As your teammates become more comfortable with these tasks and also more confident in their abilities, have them take on projects requiring higher degrees of ownership."
Over time, Patinella told Schwantes, the ongoing process will help your team discover and master a set of skills they didn't realize they had.