What is a competent worker? “My personal definition of a competent worker is one able to do a job well and willing to put in the effort required to complete a high volume of good-quality work,” Ruth W.
Stidger says (Stidger 2). It is essential to hire good employees no matter what field of business you are in. Employees are a company's most valuable resource because they are the most basic element of a business. Without them, a business cannot run. Therefore, every business owner is eager to have good employees.
From the new release of job openings and labor turnover survey in October 2011, it says, “There were 3. million job openings on the last business day of August, the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
The hires rate (3. 1 percent) and separations rate (3. 0 percent) were essentially unchanged over the month (Job Openings). ” In a competitive global world, workforce stability can be a competitive advantage. As a result, keeping good employees is most critical issue facing corporate leaders as a result of the shortage of skilled labor, economic growth and employee turnover (Employee).
Grant McKenzie says, “High turnover rates would create an inexperienced workforce and many additional expenses for a company.Hiring and training costs are obvious, but an inexperienced workforce tends to work less efficiently and make more mistakes, which also raises costs (McKenzie). ” Therefore, how to keep good employees is one of the significant issues for corporate leaders in all fields in the United States and globally. Understanding why good employees leave is the first challenge facing corporate leaders because good leaders get and keep good workers. Also, consistently losing good workers is a certain sign of a dying business.Good workers don't always leave because they want higher salary, better benefits or more plentiful perks.
Often, good workers want to leave jobs because other needs are not being satisfied, especially emotional needs. They are confident in their ability to tackle greater challenges and learn more! They enjoy achievement and want to be aware of their unique abilities. They desire a better work environment to help them to achieve their full potential. If they feel they are worth more than their current employment situation, they will go elsewhere to feel more comfortable.
According to a 1998 article, How To Keep Key Workers, written by Ramsey, Robert D. , it addresses good employees leave for one of the following reasons: 1. Boredom/Lack of challenge: Good employees have no patient with repetitive activities. They want to be challenged and test so they can show off their skills and enjoy successes. Various and interesting tasks will keep employees from becoming bored (Ramsey).
2. Dead-end prospects: Good workers want opportunity to stretch their talent and ability for advancement. They want a profession (Ramsey). 3.Limited opportunities for growth: Just like good employees need prospects, they always want to learn more and receive new skills because they want to get better and better.
Actually, when they have more abilities they can get more chance to earn more money (Ramsey). 4. Lack of appreciation: Good employees want to be aware what they have done for the company and be valued as same as the worth of their contribution. So, respect and to be thankful in the work place is very important (Ramsey).
5. Cog mentality: Good employees go to the work place every day but they do not like the work place to be just a work place.They need the sense of belonging so they want to be treated as family (Ramsey). 6.
Low standards: Good employees have high expectation for themselves. They enjoy the challenge and want to get work done perfectly (Ramsey). 7. Inferior/ineffective coworkers: Good employees would love to work with peers of like ability because they can learn good points from each other and get improvement (Ramsey). 8.
Lack of leadership/Poor supervision: Prized workers respond positively to good supervision. Good employees appreciate the value of effective leaders and want to work for them without asking to stay (Ramsey).Even though all of the factors above cause good employees to leave, there are still some reasons good employees stay with their jobs. There are also ways to keep good employees.
First, the supervisor-employee relationship is important. “How an employee views his or her supervisor is a critical factor. The competent worker wants to respect his or her boss, and wants to feel that the boss both recognizes and acknowledges his or her work efforts, Grant Stidger says (Stidger 125). ” Also, trust will be built from mutual respect and working relationships that are built over time.Each individual can start by being trustworthy and this will create a trusting, loyal workforce (Thompson). “It’s important for the manager to realize that he or she may be the key factor as to whether good workers stay or go,” said a company psychologist (Stidger 126).
If boss-worker personality clashes are the reason for changing jobs, the manager had better start treating workers as he or she would want to be treated. Second, the job should keep pace with workers’ growth to keep good employees. Grant Stidger says, “This can be accomplished by promoting employees when suitable openings exist.If such job openings don’t exist, the manager can create new jobs and titles and be sure that each worker is given all of the responsibility he or she can handle (Stidger 126).
” For example, set challenging goals and reasonable deadlines. If they have to stretch their abilities to do a job, they will continue to grow instead of becoming complacent. Also, provide all the training possible for workers. According to the HR Focus December 2006, “Career training can help employees become engaged and involved in their job, and pique their interest (How). ” When this is the case, workers learn new skills and don't job hop.Third, “Using intrinsic rewards to increase employee commitment and retention is achievable in any organization.
The extrinsic rewards are the most tangible—salaries, benefits, promotions—yet these incentives alone are not enough,” Robin Thompson says (Thompson). Even though money is not the most important factor in retaining good employees, a lack of adequate salary will cause employers to lose good workers. In fact, money is more important to the less competent worker. However, it is reasonable for a really good worker to expect to be paid more than the industry average for a position (Stidger 127).Also, according to the HR Focus December 2006, “Bonuses are the top solution to attraction and retention problems.
Most companies restricted the use of sign-on bonuses to specific jobs, using them primarily for openings that are the toughest to fill (How). ” Since sign-on bonuses do not reward existing staff, recruitment bonuses give them a chance to refer new employees. The more difficult the position is to fill, the higher the bonus offered. In return, existing employees are the best referral source. Moreover, a retention bonus is offered to new hires that stay with the company for a certain amount of time.It is also offered to current employees to be paid extra to remain until their job ends (How).
Last but not least, don’t forget the workers’ families. Families are the most important element of good employees’ lives. Often, they are more important than their work. Most good employees appreciate managerial recognition of their family’s role in their ability to work well. Therefore, managers can retain good workers by keeping their families in mind.
For instance, companies offer benefits programs to provide good coverage for families. Stidger says, “Other companies offer a smorgasboard of compensation, with several types of benefits available.For example, one large firm offers hospitalization, major medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage. The employee may choose three of these for the whole family at no cost, and can also have one or both of the remaining two benefits by paying a small monthly fee (Stidger 128).
” The good manager should realize that it is natural for families to come first even with the best workers. A good worker can put the firm first occasionally when it’s really necessary, but the manager should be sure it is necessary before asking that of the worker.In conclusion, a business can succeed in keeping good employees regardless of the state of the economy. Human resources are the key element for a business.
Therefore, human resource management is of first importance and skilled employee retention becomes a significant issue for businesses. According to the HR Focus December 2008, “The number-one reason employees quit a job is because they can (Ideas). ” When employees think they have ability to do more but they cannot use their talents in the current workplace, they will look elsewhere to satisfy those needs. Or, they think they are not treated fairly.
They feel what they receive from the employer is not commensurate with their contribution to the company. Of course, the reason they leave is because they can find another position opening for them and they expect to be treated well. According to the HR Focus December 2008, “The number-one reason employees stay is for things they get uniquely from you (Ideas). ” Good leaders know how to communicate with their employees, reward the hard work they have done and direct them to improve continually. They will treat their employees the way they want to be treated and pay attention to the relationship between employers and employees.Of course, employees would love to stay if they have a good employer who knows how to lead them.
Therefore, good leadership is the most important thing to retain in the same sense that skilled workers must be retained. WORKS CITED Employee Retention Solutions for Today's Turnover Challenge. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. .
"How to Get & Keep the Best Employees. (cover story). " HR Focus 83. 12 (2006): 1-15. Business Source Premier. EBSCO.
Web. 28 Oct. 2011. "Ideas to Keep Your Best Employees, Despite the Economy. " HR Focus 85. 12 (2008): 13-14.
Business Source Premier. EBSCO. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. "Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey News Release.
U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web.
26 Oct. 2011. . McKenzie, Grant. "How to Calculate Turnover Rate Percentage | EHow.
com. " EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the Expert in You. | EHow. com. 31 Mar. 2011.
Web. 28 Oct. 2011. Ramsey, Robert D. "How to keep key workers. " Supervision 59.
10 (1998): 9. Business Source Premier. EBSCO. Web.
27 Oct. 2011. Stidger, Ruth W. The Competence Game: How to Find, Use, and Keep Competent Employees. New York: Thomond, 1980. Print.
Thompson, Robin. "Secrets to keeping good employees. " Business Credit 102. 1 (2000): 68. Business Source Premier.
EBSCO. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.
