The last thing a manager wants to hear is one of his star employees saying, “I quit.” Yet it happens all the time. But just because a good employee leaves doesn’t mean you can’t win this employee back. The job market today may be the fiercest in recent memory.The buzzword these days within organizations is “transformed”, however, when you have talented people in your employ, it’s important to find new and inventive ways to keep them there. Remember that one in the hand is better than ten in the tree, after all.

Address Management Issues- It’s no secret that many people leave companies because of their direct manager or supervisor. One supervisor in your business having significantly more voluntary turnover than the rest? Is this the same supervisor that you’ve been considering moving out? Do what needs to be done and always keep in mind, people leave people, Not the Organization!!
Create a culture where employees feel comfortable offering feedback. “If employees feel they have to stay quiet and keep their ideas to themselves, you’re going to find yourself in trouble”. Provide assurances that you will continue to support their career growth. You can do so by committing an amount so they can attend courses or work with a coach who can help them elevate their game. Think about whom you know that may make a great mentor for this person. Offer to make an introduction,

Gain insights from them- Surveys are one of the best ways to measure how your employees feel about the company and their jobs, and figure out what needs to change.Often the best source of information about the state of affairs within your business organization is going to come from the recently hired. Try to keep it to people who have been with the company for two weeks to two months. More or less than that and they have either not enough knowledge to be honest and open or too much to lose to risk offending.Also, One of the best ways to win back good employees is to make it a point to stay in touch. You can do this in a number of ways including sending an occasional email. Let the former employee know you’ve been thinking about him or her and wanted to reach out to see how they are doing. When doing so, consider including an article that might be of interest to them or perhaps sending a quick note about a local happening that is right up their alley.

Don’t underestimate the power of the exit interview- By identifying the factors driving employees to leave, you’ll identify the factors that could potentially drive other employees out the door – and do something about it before it’s too late. “If one of your top employees is saying something in their exit interview, chances are, there are other people within the organization who feel the same way. While an exit interview will not “save” the employee who’s actually being interviewed, it may help you retain everybody else.

Use their talent- One of the most commonly cited reasons for employees to leave the companies they work for is a distinct lack of challenge in the work. They need challenges in order to stay engaged in the tasks at hand and committed to the job. It’s great to have a big picture plan but everyone contributing to that big picture needs challenges that are achievable but somewhat aggressive (not impossible) in order to make them feel like they have something important to bring to the table and keep them coming back Monday morning after Monday morning.They need to believe they have a future within the company and that the business has a vested interest in them. Look for new challenges and increasing responsibilities to give to employees who produce consistently good results so they’ll have ample incentive to continue doing so.

Elite Performers  is a team of experts specializing in Consulting, Employee Engagement, Business and Life coaching for teams and individuals as well as Leadership training and development.
We help organizations get their people strategy right and achieve their objectives.