Leadership & Retention

This week, I reviewed an article titled, Leadership’s Role in Employee Retention. I found it to be an on time read for me because retention is an area of leadership where many leaders seem to struggle, including myself. The article suggests that retention is related to ineffective leadership. It suggests that turnover can be decreased by managers developing active relationships with their subordinates. By doing this, staff feel like they are a piece of the overall picture. The belief is that the influence that a manager has over his or her subordinates is the reason that the staff either stays or leaves their job.

I can totally agree with this viewpoint. As I was reading the article, I began to reflect on the relationship that I have with my manager and how it influences my performance. I then began to think about previous managers I have had and how the relationship might have impacted my performance in previous roles. I can agree with this notion because when I felt that I have a positive and active relationship with my supervisor, I went over and beyond, as I felt like my role was more of partnership with my manager. When I felt like I was just a subordinate to my manager, although in a leadership position, I found that I was less enthused and often felt like I was working to earn or keep a position within the company, which lead to continued feelings of exhaustion and stress.

The article also contends that it is important that managers ensure that their staff fit the roles they are assigned. Turnover is directly related to inadequate staffing if staff are put in roles or given assignments that they may not have the abilities to effectively perform. This might also be seen as a setup for failure if there is not sufficient training being provided along with the expectations of assigned roles. The matching of the staff and the role is the responsibility of the leader. Although the staff has a small responsibility in communicating whether or not they feel if they can perform adequately in the role they are assigned, it is the overall responsibility of the manager and a good manager will ensure that the person fits the role.

I believe it works against a company’s goal, vision, and mission to place employees in positions in which they have not proven to be capable of performing. The employee will not gain satisfaction from this type of ineffective leadership and will not work for a long period of time in a role of which they feel inadequate to perform. A satisfied employee will work harder and longer for a company and will most likely only leave the company if their personal lives begin to conflict with the job. Ensuring employee satisfaction is one of the best ways to retain staff and improve retention and turnover rates.

When an employee has a good working and active relationship with his or her manager, they are able to communicate more effectively. Effective communication allows for the employee and manager to exchange thoughts, ideas, and opinions about not only the work being performed, but about their professional relationship as well. When an employee can communicate effectively with their manager, they feel as though they are being heard and that together, they are contributing to the overall mission of the organization. This type of relationship gives the employee a sense of belonging and they see themselves as a piece of the puzzle. When employees feel like they play a significant role in the overall operations, they are more likely to remain with their company.

Keeping the goal of reducing turnover or improving retention in mind, managers should aim to ensure that they are actively engaged with their employees. They should hold one-on-one meetings with them and make sure that they feel included in improvements and changes made to better the work place. Managers should make an effort to let the employee know that their “piece of the puzzle” is essential to the success of the work environment and to meeting the company’s goals. When the employee feels valuable, they find satisfaction and see themselves as an important and relevant partner. They feel like they are an asset and worth something to the company and to their manager.

The overall message I received from the article was that staff want to be appreciated, feel included, and be satisfied with what they contribute to their employers. When they receive these important components, they will be less likely to leave their employers for reasons other than those that are beyond their control. They not only want to fit in at their workplace, but they also want to feel like their role is significant to the success of the company. They also want to feel like they have a good working relationship with their managers and they value each other. They active relationship piece is important because this is what motivates the employee to exceed performance expectations for their manager.

Reference:

Covella, G., McCarthy, V., Kaifi, B., & Cocoran, D. (2017). Leadership's Role in Employee Retention. Business Management Dynamics, 7(5), 1-15.