In impeccable time before Valentine’s Day, author Susan Steinbrecher, in an article published in Inc., lists 21 ways to win the hearts of your employees. As an employee in charge of recruiting and retention, I feel the ideas expressed by Steinbrecher are crucial for employers to retain talent and keep employees engaged. The 21 ideas she lists are:
- Be a good listener. Employees will be motivated when you listen in the present moment with empathy and understanding.
- Coach, mentor and develop your associates. Provide ample opportunities for growth and development.
- Ask better questions and offer support.
- Tell the truth.
- Hold yourself accountable.
- Be approachable. Have an open door policy.
- Celebrate successes.
- Make work interesting and challenging.
- Trust people to make the right decisions. This boosts confidence and cultivates mutual respect.
- Support and encourage health and wellness programs.
- Be flexible with scheduling, whenever possible.
- Avoid judgments and quick assumptions. Instead, pause and seek to understand.
- Affirm or enhance self-esteem.
- Say “thank you” for a job well done, and be specific with your feedback.
- Observe the day-to-day operations and make time to personally connect with others.
- Relinquish control. Doing so empowers employees and fosters confidence-building opportunities.
- Practice mindfulness. Know the impact of your words and actions.
- Commit to ongoing personal growth and build the habits that you want others to emulate.
- Be humble; be teachable. Do not be afraid to admit your mistakes.
- Encourage creativity. Endeavor to be open to new ideas.
- Be courageous enough to lead with your heart.
At Brickley DeLong, we believe in the importance of all of our employees. We strive to commit to many of these practices as a Firm. For example, we uphold a family/team-oriented culture. A client is a Firm client, and we work together to deliver the best possible client service. With our open door policy, employees are encouraged to ask questions. Staff members regularly sit down with Partners and Managers to discuss client work. It is our goal through training and work-experience to empower our employees to grow their skills and continue to take on more challenging work and roles.
To read the full referenced article, click here. For more information on working at Brickley DeLong, please visit our career pages or contact Jennifer Kloosterhouse at (616) 608-8532 or jkloosterhouse@brickleydelong.com.