Last year was difficult. We witnessed a lot of changes in our routine especially along the professional side of life. Most of us are working in a new-age virtual environment, spending countless hours staring at a laptop screen, connecting virtually more than ever before. Many of us are either put on furlough while others are laid off. The ones who are left are trying their best to juggle.

We are stressed and worried and the employers can’t afford to add to this stress. At least not now!

Employee experience during a time like COVID is important when junk food drawers, tea/coffee breaks, occasional happy hours and fun fridays no longer exist. Many businesses are facing challenges like never before, it’s substantial to lead with employee driven experiences that reinforce a brand’s purpose. If you aren’t interacting with all levels of the organization, people will feel disengaged and not part of the future. That disconnection will ultimately lead  them to ponder over the decision of working with you in the first place. Why would anyone want to waste their time working at a place where they don't even feel connected?

You need to give  your employees  a purpose to stay and reason to believe in that purpose.

Every story is shaped by the people living it so give your employees an active role in shaping your’s. People are tired  of the surface-gloss of Instagrammable moments. They trust what they perceive as a true, unfiltered voice more than highly curated and polished messages from leadership. In turn, Employees’ voices carry authenticity and honesty, and seeing their truths reflected in their storytelling generates pride and emotional resonance. Create opportunities for them to take value-based actions together, build community, and share their sense of engagement with others.

According to a report published by Access Perks, companies with highly-engaged employees grow revenue three times as much as those who don't, and engaged employees are around 80% less likely to leave their organization. Also, research reveals that above everything else including pay, employees remain with companies when they align with the company’s purpose. When employees understand what their company stands for, they are more likely to stay with that company and more likely to go an extra mile to expedite that purpose. Establishing and maintaining a company culture of engagement is important to the  healthy  growth of company and business.

Always remember your employees chose to work for your company. While you offered them a role, it was ultimately their decision to accept. Your stand as a company, and as an employer, factored into their decision of working for you. It also incites their decision to stay. So, give them a reason to belong, to feel positive emotions, inspire them in ways that they share their experiences with others. Companies carefully craft language around vision and values, hoping to drive a sense of purpose, and often marketing it very effectively. But is there action beyond the words? Do employees feel genuinely connected with the companies they work for? Do they have the ability to raise and live the brand from within?

The bottom line is that people want to know they are on a journey, headed towards a meaningful destination and connected to each step of it. Connection matters more than ever and the only way to make that connection is with meaningful actions.

Whenever a dedicated  employee leaves an organisation, the question ‘why?’, can leave the management scratching their head!  

Though we can’t always control the factors involved in losing employees, there are always several manageable reasons. Watch this space next week to discover more about such reasons and the possible measures that can be taken to  improve your employee retention.