Human Resources Blog - Spark Hire

Employee Retention: How to Keep Your Top Talent

There is a war out there, and it’s being waged against you over your top talent. Strategies are being used to lure them away. Covert missions are occurring during which they’re being wooed with better benefits and pay. And if you’re not careful, you could wind up on the losing side.

Your initial reaction is probably to spy on the competition, recruiters and your employees  in order to prevent what appears to be the inevitable. However, ere.net suggests a different approach. It’s time for you to re-recruit your top talent.

Ere.net first suggests that companies should try to prevent burnout or ruts among top talent. They report that research shows that a rut can occur as frequently as 18 months. With that, companies, and more importantly, managers need to be providing new projects, tasks or redesigning roles to prevent this from happening.

It’s at this juncture that employee satisfaction can really dwindle, so stopping it before it even starts can help improve employee retention. Along those lines, top talent need to feel three things when it comes to their job, according to ere.net — excitement, that they’re doing the best work of their life and having a significant impact.

Ere.net urges recruiters and team managers alike to communicate to top talent that they’re not only doing a great job but how their work is making a difference for the company. That requires team managers to be on top of performance, giving these employees proof that their contributions are of value. It also requires other managers, team leaders and recruiters to acknowledge a job well done too.

Re-recruiting offers need to be made to top talent regardless of whether or not they’re looking for an outside opportunity, ere.net says. This can come in the form of a title change, raise or greater benefits like more vacation days and work from home benefits. These benefits, along with the loyalty and relationship they already have with the company, can have a significant impact on their willingness to stay.

Finally, ere.net encourages companies to help top talent find new positions — within the company. If an opening comes up and someone that already works for the company is perfect for the job, recruit them. Treat them like an outside candidate, sell the position and give them an offer they can’t refuse.

When it comes to top talent, you don’t just want them because they are amazing at performing that particular job; you want to keep them because they’re invaluable to the company on whichever team they serve. Top talent is a rare find, and you don’t want to lose the war in keeping them. Entice them, woo them and make them feel important — even when they’re already yours.

How else can you prevent top talent from leaving the company? Share now in our comments!

Kathryn Randolph

Kathryn is a freelance writer currently living in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University and has five years experience writing for major job search and higher education websites. When she's not writing for the web, Kathryn is hanging out with her new baby girl, traveling, cooking, reading and running. She believes that the perfect job is out there for everyone and hopes to help Spark Hire job seekers discover their career passion and pursue it.