Take Charge Now BEFORE Your Best People Walk Out the Door

Recognize This: Your best people are planning on leaving as soon as they can. What are you going to do about it now?

Your best people are planning on leaving as soon as they can. The evidence is piling up. Now the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) is reporting:

“Our most recent data clearly show that employee distraction, demoralization and disengagement are at an all-time high. In fact, the statistics for high performers -- the best and brightest talent -- are equally alarming, with nearly a third planning to leave their current jobs within the next 12 months.”

Think about your staff for the moment. Categorize them in your mind so you’re considering your truly top performers. One-third are leaving in the next year. Try to imagine how the work will get done as well without 1/3 of your top performers. How’s that picture look?

Why You Should Care

CEB continues: “It will be extremely difficult to expand revenue and productivity with a workforce that is unfocused and under-performing, or if turnover becomes a concern.”

Your best performers are often your leaders in the office as well – good attitudes, a willingness to coach others. Lose those people and the ones remaining will certainly lose focus. But even before that step, Those who are just thinking of leaving are already distracted from their work with those thoughts and plans. Can you afford that?

What You Can Do about It

The CEB suggests: “Recognize and reward employee contributions: Differentiating among employees is surprisingly hard for managers but organizations must arm them with the tools and guidance to ensure that their employees feel valued for their individual achievements.”

The best tools – your company values as reasons for recognition; frequent employee recognition based on those values; the ability of any employee to recognize another based on those values.

What are you doing right now to keep you best employees? What's your company/manager/leadership doing to keep you?