Empowering employees, career advancement opportunities, the right job fit, and a positive workplace environment can foster loyalty and commitment. But, most importantly, is high-quality leadership. First of all, employee owners

Thirdly, the right job fit is an important component in employee retention. Providing opportunities to explore different positions within the company creates openness and growth. A great example is a chemical company that I read about in a consulting magazine. They place new scientists in the Research Assignments Program, which provides an introduction to various company research positions. These new hires spend 12-16 months exploring different research areas before they accept a specific position in a laboratory. These new scientists complete three to four different projects at different research laboratories. At the end of the program, each person transfers to a position that is chosen based on the individual’s preference and performance and the company’s current research priorities.

You may have noticed that I did not mention salary, dress code, benefit packages, child-care, etc. when discussing retaining skilled workers. As previously discussed, I believe that these can be used to attract employees to your company but they cannot be used to foster company loyalty and commitment. The bond between the employer and the employee must be strengthened. Leadership style is the most important and direct influence on this. Human resources can attract and hire good employees with benefits and salary, but the real task is trying to keep those good employees to stay with your company. I believe that the managers in the company are the only people who can truly keep the employees happy. It costs a company too much money in terms of non-productivity and training for new employees to allow for the employees to be unhappy just because they don’t get along with their managers. Managers are the primary individuals responsible for keeping the employees happy and therefore productive.

Empowering employees by giving them ownership in the organization, developing career opportunities, and fostering a positive work environment are all ways to mange and retain skilled employees in today’s work place. Employees are the greatest asset to any organization and they need to be developed. Managers who truly manage their employees can attract and retain good employees because they are able to build trust and commitment. Building trust and commitment with employees encourages loyalty and commitment from them. In today’s work environment there is a need for a partnership between managers and workers. Based on a need for a stronger employee/employer relationship, managers need to energize, empower, support, and communicate. Good managers must create, not consume energy in the workplace. Today’s managers need to generate excitement, not just organize people and analyze numbers. Managers must make things happen in the organization.

At Home Depot, headquartered in Atlanta, employees who are responsible for maintaining product aisles in the company’s stores, proudly and prominently display their names for customers to see. A smart organization gives its employees a sense of ownership. This doesn’t have to be in financial terms, as shown with Home Depot. By giving employees an integral role in the operation of their departments and business units, the company fosters loyalty and commitment from employees. It also i

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