What do Microsoft, ANZ and the prestigious law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques all have in common? They all have senior HR professionals who see retaining talent as a key challenge for HR as the economy continues to recover in 20101. Discover how you can improve retention in your organisation through the targeted training of managers.
The number one reason people cite for leaving an organisation is that they found their boss’s approach to leadership wanting2 Research also reveals that both the emotional outlook3 and the skilful actions of managers contribute to employee turnover.
At the emotional level, managers need to master their own moods and act as emotional magnets, drawing people towards them. They can do this by learning how to be more optimistic, developing their personal resiliency and expressing genuine happiness at work. Yet, studies4 show that joy is the least expressed emotion at work.
At the hands-on level, managers need to get out of the office and talk to their staff. Conversations are the path through which managers show appreciation, correct little problems before they become big ones, and draw out employee’s inner resources. Sadly, research5 shows that many managers fail to hold such one-on-one conversations or at the very least, fail to hold them well.
Therefore, if staff retention is a hot issue for you, it makes sense to invest in training their managers, with a particular focus on the role emotion and conversation play in effective leadership.
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Notes
- See the commentary of senior HR professionals in HR Leader, Dec, 2009. ↩
- This claim is based on the findings of one of the largest studies ever undertaken. The study, conducted by Gallup Organization, involved over a million employees and 80,000+ managers. ↩
- See, for example, George, J. M., & Bettenhausen, K. (1990). Understanding Prosocial Behavior, Sales Performance & Turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology , 75, 698-706. ↩
- Gibson, D. E. (1995). Emotional Scripts & Changes In Organizations. In F. Massarik, Advances In Organizational Development. ↩
- See Rolfe, K. (2009), Reward & Recognition Survey. ↩
