Loyalty plays a major role in successful companies. Loyal employees are more than willing to find solutions to problems within their company. But of course, this involves a tricky process. In the past, employees remained with a company for years. These days, you rarely see this happen.
In fact, according to studies, 2.7 million people quit their jobs on the first month. Among the top reasons why employees quit their jobs during the very first month is due to the mismatch between employer and employee expectations in the workplace. This situation creates a number of challenges within an organization, including productivity problems.
How exactly do you build loyalty among employees? Here are 7 strategies that businesses of all sizes could implement.
1. Be strict in the hiring process
Hiring should be a rigorous process. In fact, it is tempting to just hire and weed out people along the way. However, this strategy wastes a lot of time and precious resources.
By being strict with the hiring process, it gives the company the opportunity to identify top talent. If you look at the most admired and successful companies all around the world, those who have figured this out and found a way to get the best talent, top the list.
A common mistake of managers is hiring based solely on the candidate’s résumé and skills. It is important that organizations do not merely look for potential candidates who can fill positions, but rather, seek out candidates who can grow within the corporate culture for years to come.
The success of an organization is due, in part, to the congruence between individual and organizational values. This is often referred to as “Culture Fit”, and is the ability of an employee to comfortably work in an environment that is congruent with his or her own beliefs and values.
How do you do this? First, it is important to determine the acquired skills of the applicant. What are the things he or she learned from his or her past work experience? Next, it is crucial to look beyond what is written in the resume. The hiring department should ask the right questions in order to pin point the right person for the job. And last, you need to be clear about your expectations from the very beginning.
2. Create a beneficial environment to your employees
Another way of building loyalty among employees is to give them a reason to stay. If the environment isn’t beneficial to the employees, then why would they be motivated to stay in your company?
As an employee, it is your duty to recognize good work, and invest in your employees. An incentive is a great way to build loyalty and recognize great work within the organization.
It is also ideal that you invest in your employees so that they can grow professionally. A lot of companies are afraid of investing too much time and resources in their employees, for fear that they may leave. In contrary to this mindset, it is important the companies value the talents and skills of their employees, which will increase productivity and minimize turnover in the long run.
3. Be open to their ideas
A typical organization would most likely rely on their managers to solve day-to-day operations and administrative conflicts. However, let’s keep in mind that there are things that some managers can’t see, especially things that happen at the bottom of the organization.
There are instances when solutions to day-to-day problems can come from your employees. Unfortunately, most of their suggestions fall on deaf ears. This scenario creates problems within the ranks, especially when employees have to deal with these problems on a daily basis.
By being open minded to your employees’ suggestions, not only do you involve them in the problem solving process, you also give importance to their opinions.
In order to retain input from your employees regarding the company culture, it is always a good idea to have a feedback system in place every now and then which allows employees to express their opinions and observations.
4. Never embarrass your employees over their mistakes
To err is human. And yes, mistakes within the company are normal. The number one rule in addressing mistakes within the organization is to always be constructive in addressing them. No matter how big or small the error is, the company should treat their employees as part of the team.
In fact, if there is a need to reprimand an employee over his or her actions, it is a good idea to never do it in front of other people. Also, be sure to always have a resolution in place on how to avoid this type of situation from happening again in the future.
5. Invest on things that make work easier
Making the effort to invest on things that make work easier and more efficient is a sign that you really care for their welfare. This step not only allows developing loyalty among employees, it can also benefit the overall productivity within the company.
For companies that do not have the money to invest on tools and infrastructure, it is a good idea to periodically review your overall protocol. Here, you will be able to see things that can be enhanced to reduce the stress of your employees, without compromising the volume and quality of work being done.
6. Offer promotions
No one wants to be stuck in the same position for years. A lot of your employees are also looking for career growth. One effective way to retain productive and skillful employees within the company is by offering them a well-deserved promotion.
But of course, if you hire the wrong person, there is potential for conflict between and among employees. In order to prevent this scenario, it is a must that the organization remains impartial and transparent in the way employees are treated.
7. Consult changes with the employees
There is nothing more constant than change. The business landscape of the 21st century is characterized by ever changing trends that happen with so much rapidity that they take most companies by surprise. As organizations move through these changes, it is important that they continue to value their employees and consult with them on important business matters, which will ensure that they develop trust, loyalty and increased employee satisfaction. Remember that loyal employees are just as important as loyal customers for your business.
Conclusion
Loyal employees are the gold mines of any company and the ones responsible for an organization's success. They're disciplined and they achieve the best results in their work, and more importantly, they are rewarded for doing so. Given the number of options for employment, loyal employees should be treated as an asset in every business.
With these strategies, you will be able to develop employees who are more than willing to go the extra mile for your company.
Do you use other strategies in building loyal employees? Feel free to write them at the comments below!