Trying to reduce turnover at your company? You've probably noticed this recent phenomenon then.
These days, employees aren’t as nervous about changing jobs. You see, the job market has changed over the last year. In 2018, unemployment was at its lowest in 50 years. Today, there are more than 7 million open jobs—and only 6.5 million people considered “unemployed”. That includes new workers in the job force who are looking for their first "real" job.
That means that companies have to try harder to maintain their current, outstanding team members in what's become a fluid and competitive job market by providing a reason to stay.
One survey found that “45% of hiring managers noted salary
Fifty percent
The upshot is this. If you have top-performing employees, you don’t want to lose them. And the statistics show that better salaries win major points in an employee’s career book.
So we’ve put together a little guide to minimize the sense of loss you may be feeling at the thought of losing more employees, and the accompanying frustration of figuring out salary raises.
Base employee salary raises on these
- Performancereviews
Annual or quarterly performance reviews are a
great place to start. Have some team members exceeded expectations or made
marked improvements after their last review? You may help maintain the momentum
by encouraging good performance with a salary raise.- Impeccablework ethic
Do your employees voluntarily take on responsibilities
that aren’t part of their original job description? Are they open to helping
out whenever they can?- Skillimprovement or credentialing
Employees who take the initiative to expand
their skills and increase their ability to help your company succeed should be
commended—and receive a raise in accordance with their new skillset.- Performancemetrics
Team members who have delivered quantifiable
results that have improved your company or generated profits are prime
candidates for salary raises.Take the next stepsto raise those salaries
Review your budget
Money for salary raises may not always be apparent. But you
can often shift money around (or remove line items altogether) to make some space
for raises.Be proactive
Take the first step in discussing salaries with your employees.
Don’t wait for the moment when they approach you with a salary raise or bust
conversation after finding a nicer paying job. Take the higher road and commend
where commendation is needed.If your company’s finances really won’t allow salary raises,
you should still avoid saying “no” to a raise by getting creative on what you
can offer to excelling employees. Consider additional PTO, flexible schedules
or merit or retention awards. Or think about adding some fun new perks to your
company offerings. While perks don’t pay employee’s bills, if they provide
enough of a value-add, they can be perfectly received in place of a salary
bump.