How Do You Keep Your Top Talent? Short Answer: Empathy

By: Lori O’Connor, New Business Developer

One-in-five workers say they are very or somewhat likely to look for a new job in the next six months. – Pew Research Center

It’s hard to go anywhere without seeing a “We’re Hiring” sign. And while I appreciate the need to fill open positions, there’s another force in play that cannot be ignored. Just as you are working to attract more applicants to your business, others are trying to convince your employees to leave you. And if you’re not actively working to keep your employees, you may lose them.

But here’s the good news. You can retain top talent. And it starts with having empathy for your team.

Building empathy can be done in a number of ways, all of which include engaging employees. According to Gallup data* engaged employees are 44% more likely to stay at their current place of work than unengaged and unmotivated employees. Here are some top ways to engage your employees:

1. Gain employee input with surveys How you survey employees might change based on the number of staff, but one thing is for sure: gathering data from current employees is critical to retaining your best people. Collecting information on an annual, bi-annual, or quarterly basis can help identify trends, differentiators, or gaps in the organization, structure, and more.

2. Facilitate regular “Town Hall” meetings Similar to surveys, the purpose of an open format “Town Hall” meeting is to give employees the opportunity to share ideas and feedback. Town Hall meetings can be facilitated in a number of ways. Sometimes these break down into smaller group meetings (per department, for example). Sometimes they include the entire company. Typically, these meetings are used to facilitate a conversation around a specific topic, like feedback on the development of a new product or service. Not only does this give you access to a broad group of problem solvers, but it also gives employees the opportunity to speak their minds.

“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” – Simon Sinek

3. Provide proof and closed-loop reporting This is perhaps the most important aspect of the empathic loop. It’s not enough to ask employees for feedback. You must share back to employees the changes that have been implemented because of their feedback.

These points scratch the surface of what can be accomplished to amplify your retention efforts. Start with empathy and the path for your business will be clear.

Lori O’Connor is the Business Development Manager for Vye, a full-service agency that uses data, technology, and creativity to deliver empathy-based marketing solutions that drive company growth.

*Source: Do Engaged Employees Stay at Their Job Longer, February 2022