Strengthening employee retention through suitable measures is particularly important for employers in times of skills shortages and demographic change. The stronger employees’ connection with the organisation, the greater their sense of belonging and the lower the turnover rate. Organisations are therefore well advised to use all suitable retention measures and tools. The following sections explain which measures influence employee retention, the difference between fundamental and individual measures, and how successful retention management works.
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Use proven employee-retention measures
Employee retention is a key factor in business success and can be proactively strengthened through suitable measures. Planning, implementing and managing such measures is known as retention management and falls within the remit of managers and HR professionals. Its aims are to retain high performers, reduce employee turnover, strengthen the employer brand through employer branding and, in turn, make it easier to attract new employees. A combination of general and individual retention measures can also increase motivation and productivity.
Employers should consider two overarching categories of retention measures: those that positively affect the working atmosphere overall, and those tailored to individual employees. Measures that improve the working atmosphere usually benefit all employees. They influence employee satisfaction and provide the basis for sound employee-retention management. However, general measures alone are not enough to retain ambitious employees over the long term. High performers in particular are actively approached by other employers, so a package focused solely on the working atmosphere is not a sufficient reason to stay.
Given the current shortage of skilled professionals and managers, organisations should also take measures that address individual needs. The purpose of individual retention measures is to keep high performers and talent with strong development potential in the organisation. Proven employee-focused measures in retention management include tailored working-time models, financial incentives and employee benefits that employees can choose individually. Flexible ways of working from the New Work context can also be effective retention measures.
The effectiveness of retention management depends on the measures chosen. Put simply: the more closely measures reflect an individual employee’s actual wishes and needs, the stronger their connection with the organisation and the more likely they are to stay.
According to a study by the EY business network, employees’ willingness to change jobs reached a record high in 2023. Only 13 per cent of respondents said they felt very closely connected to their organisation.
Retaining employees: general and individual measures
Employees’ connection with an organisation can be strengthened through both general and individual measures. To establish a solid foundation for employee retention, the focus should initially be on measures that increase employee satisfaction. Such fundamental measures generally form the basis of successful retention management. Employers who ensure that employees feel comfortable and that there is a positive working atmosphere can strengthen employees’ emotional connection with the organisation through this alone.
In addition, individually tailored measures should be considered especially for high performers and specialists. These highly qualified employees are difficult to replace, so employers are well advised to create further incentives for them to stay. Tailored measures that address these employees’ individual wishes and needs can sustainably strengthen their connection with the organisation.
Employee-retention measures at a glance
General employee retention measures:
- Create optimal working conditions, including modern technical equipment and collaboration tools
- Communicate clear company culture and values
- Introduce a positive feedback culture, for example constructive employee discussions
- Involve employees in decisions, for example through employee surveys
- Communicate appreciatively
- Actively promote team building, for example through team events and shared meals
- Support workplace health management, including ergonomic workstations and quiet rooms
- Offer fair pay and social benefits
- Provide special terms and allowances, for example a company bike, travel pass or gym membership
- Offer holiday pay and recuperation allowances
- Provide free refreshments or meal allowances
Selective employee retention measures:
- Flexible working-time models, for example a four-day week or employee-chosen hours
- Employee benefits that can be chosen individually
- Attractive pay and financial incentives
- Career management and promotion prospects
- A training budget
- Talent-development programmes
- A retention bonus or loyalty bonus
- Home-working, sabbatical and workation options
- Support with childcare
- A company car or employee parking space
Whether, and to what extent, the chosen retention measures are effective should be examined regularly. This can be discussed and explored in employee meetings. Alternatively, regular employee surveys and short pulse surveys make it possible to capture and analyse the workforce’s mood quickly. Online surveys can also be useful in retention management for gathering feedback on the onboarding process and measuring employee satisfaction and employee engagement at regular intervals.
Do not leave employee retention to chance: use proven measures. Good working conditions and a positive working atmosphere can create a degree of employee retention, but measures tailored to individual employees are recommended as well.
Online surveys make it easy to find out which benefits individual employees prefer and whether measures already implemented are effective. You can find free questionnaire templates on employee retention here: Employee-retention questionnaires
With LamaPoll, surveys can be created quickly and easily. The tool offers many options for individual adjustments. The help pages are useful for solving many questions independently. For special requests, competent and easily accessible customer support is available.
What is LamaPoll?
LamaPoll is a survey tool for creating employee surveys and measuring employee satisfaction. You can use it to create, conduct and analyse all types of employee survey. Create your employee survey in just a few steps, apply your organisation’s corporate design and invite employees conveniently by email or via your intranet. You can quickly gain insights that help improve employee satisfaction. You can register for our survey tool free of charge and immediately conduct surveys for up to 50 employees with no obligation. If you need more responses to your online employee survey questionnaire, simply choose one of our monthly plans. You can also use our employee survey questionnaire templates and examples.
