Your Voice: Leaders link to employee retention

Leading can be a science, sometimes an art, and always a true faith. They say that leaders are born or built, and I say it is a combination of belief and continuous work. Being a leader is not about holding responsibilities, or only supervising individuals. It is in the deepest meaning of significantly influencing others. Influencing how they work, how to communicate with others and even how to achieve their work’s aspiration. 

There is a link between leadership and employee retention, however, it is not always the reason for an employee to leave, but definitely it is a key factor. Leaders can shape the work type and responsibilities, they can build a whole new culture and can be a reason to wake up in the morning motivated to come to work. Therefore, it is essential for leaders to understand the individual’s needs, goals and aspiration, then customize the plan based on that accordingly.

Leading the culture 

A culture of continuous recognition is advisable, and leaders should spend time in adapting such a strategy. A study indicates that 63% of employees who were recognized “always” or “usually” are very unlikely to leave or search for another job (Alberti, 2020). 

Feeling valued 

While it is critical to grant buy-in from upper management, similarly, it is important for the employee’s views, voices, and ideas to be heard and implemented. Therefore, leaders can adapt a 360 degree feedback approach and evaluation for themselves, to view their leadership style from the eyes of others, and explore their strengths and weaknesses. 

Series of discussion 

Also, it is important to ask the team how they define leadership, how they perceive different styles, and which style works with them. Having a discussion and reading articles on such topics will certainly boost the leadership skills and the team spirit, engagement, and motivation (BrainWorks, 2021). 

Retention of employees is related to feeling valued, and making an impact within the organization. Leaders are a key part to open the door for employees to experience their work aspiration today, tomorrow, and always.