Retention & Loyalty: Prevention is the Best Policy

Lucie Morin, author of Retaining Employees, full professor of ESG UQAM and collaborator in the development of the Orange Program recently mentioned that “the key to a work environment that retains employees is a benevolent boss for whom the wellbeing of its employees is a priority ”.

As team managers, how can we motivate and mobilize our people in such contexts? The answer is simple: preventing is better than curing! The stronger the relationships managers develop with their subordinates, the more these relationships will be valued during challenging times.

According to a recent SOM-L’Actualité survey, almost 40% of Quebec workers have already left a job because of the bad relationship with their boss and 27% say they have thought about quitting a job because of the bad relationship with their superior.

To avoid these departures, managers need to invest in strengthening the bonds within their teams. Here are a few key strategies to help prevent employee disaffection.

5 preventive strategies for employee loyalty and retention:

1. Develop open communication: establishing a transparent channel of communication fosters mutual understanding and makes employees feel listened to. Regular individual and team meetings can help strengthen this bond.

2. Cultivate caring leadership: a caring boss inspires trust and creates an environment where employees feel supported. Recognizing successes and taking everyone’s opinions into account are essential practices.

3. Encourage professional development: offering training and advancement opportunities shows employees that the company is investing in their growth. This reinforces a sense of belonging and long-term loyalty.

4. Manage conflict quickly: ignoring or minimizing tensions within the team can lead to premature departures. Intervening at the first signs of conflict can prevent negative consequences for loyalty.

5. Promote work-life balance: Recognizing employees’ personal needs and promoting a healthy work-life balance contributes to overall well-being and job satisfaction.

Investing in prevention within the team is essential to ensure employee loyalty and retention. Managers play a key role in creating a work environment conducive to the professional and personal development of their staff. By adopting a proactive approach, companies can not only reduce staff turnover, but also promote a corporate culture where employee retention becomes a daily reality.

When looking for effective solutions to strengthen employee loyalty and retention, it’s essential to turn to low-cost tools such as regular team-building activities and employee recognition programs that help solidify the employer-employee relationship.

It’s not simply a matter of setting up an annual recognition program, but rather of equipping managers with the skills they need to make recognition part of their daily routine, thereby creating a lasting impact on their team’s motivation, commitment, and loyalty

The Orange Program has been specifically designed with this in mind: it aims to equip managers with concrete methods for expressing their gratitude to their employees through non-monetary gestures and actions. If your management team is ready to explore new approaches to “prevention rather than cure”. we strongly encourage you to find out more about this online training course by clicking here. It’s an invaluable opportunity to acquire the skills you need to develop a culture of recognition within your team, thereby fostering a fulfilling work environment and fostering employee loyalty.