An Unexpected Tactic to Hold On To Your Best Workers

 

We are all trying to do more with less. That is made more urgent as we have learned in reports in 2010 (summarized in this blog) that workers will not be satisfied with their jobs unless they receive certain attention and development. But attention and development can be difficult to provide in the anemic economic environment in which we work. Who has time?  When can you spare workers?

Your best employees may be looking for other "better" positions as the economy improves.  It's unlikely you will be able to replace them with a new best worker, so it's time to do even more with less. How can you get these employees additional career benefits to improve their job satisfaction so that  they will remain in their job?

Everything old can be new again. Mentoring can give these employees the attention and development they crave quickly with little impact on your project - or your To Do list. They get a mentor, you stop worrying.

• If your best people need to see that their career has a future in your organization, their mentor help clarify that road map.
• If your best employees need help to find challenging opportunities, their mentor can let them know what is available.
• If your best workers need someone who can supply them with insights that will help them become a more valuable asset to the organization, their mentor can do that.

Mentoring is more sophisticated than coaching and should be a key part of an organization's plan to succeed in the marketplace. It will build effective leaders (and we all know about the dearth in that area).

There is more basic information here and here, but mentoring has been around for a long time. The point here is that you should consider starting or reinvigorating mentoring efforts to retain workers who may move to other companies. If you are not sure how to proceed, check with an HR representative . There may be some type of program already in place, just needing to be dusted off.