If you are a project manager or leader who has invested time, resources, and a lot of effort to attract the best possible people, it’s important that you use the right strategies to see them stay for the long run. While it’s not entirely in your hands to keep them, there are some steps you can take to create the right work environment that will allow solid employee retention.

We have just gotten used to living in a post-pandemic world, so the priorities of today’s employees have changed dramatically. Their focus has changed. There’s a before and an after, and no one has any intention of going back to the before. So how can you make employee retention an indicator that is always at a peak?

Obtaining liability insurance is the first and one of several important scenarios. We will review the 5 essential processes you need to employ to improve employee retention and think about growth by first securing the foundations of what you have already put so much effort into building. 

By making the necessary changes and adopting these scenarios, you will be running a company where everyone loves to work and, more importantly, wants to stay for the long haul.

5 important steps to keep your staff in the long run

1. Get well-rounded liability insurance for your employees

The best way to promote employee engagement and retention is to provide them with health and general protection. According to America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), 84% of employees surveyed said that employer-provided insurance is important to stay in their current job. An employer’s liability insurance is a great part of workers’ general compensation insurance.

We agree that 84% is a large majority. The pandemic has shown a vulnerability that was never foreseen, especially for those who fell ill or had to take care of people close to them, risking their jobs to find another one that would bring in enough to pay for a private service.

Having general liability insurance in your business shows those who work for you that you care about their well-being. The numbers do not lie, especially when it comes to not returning to the old days when an employee had to take care of their family members’ health protection themselves. 

An employee who feels safe and supported will not only stay but will be grateful and committed to their performance.

2. Offer in-house measures that promote a healthy workforce

Just as insurance is a key benefit, another way to retain workers over the long term is to make them aware of the importance of personal health within the company. Arrange regular medical checkups for everyone, hold lectures on occupational safety and mental health, set up a department dedicated to improving space conditions, and provide other measures that reflect a commitment to employee health.

It is very helpful if you as a manager are also willing to use these resources. Leading by example means showing employees that these are not cold, unfocused techniques, but that everyone is committed to prioritizing health and self-care. This ranges from open communication to healthy work time management.

Healthy employees reduce sick leave, make for more motivated and satisfied employees, and most importantly, show that you care about your team and their well-being. Don’t forget to monitor any programs you implement and always ask for feedback from the rest of the team.

3. Promote remote working

The 2020 pandemic taught us not only the importance of having personal and business health on our radar but also to diversify the way we work. By having to work from home, employees at most companies discovered all the aspects of their personal lives they had neglected and how to balance professional success with an engaging personal life.

If you look at current job postings, you’ll find that working from home is a factor that keeps popping up. Do not be afraid to risk productivity by allowing your team to work from home. The reality is that flexible scheduling and prioritizing end results over procedures have made working from home much more successful than old methods.

Certainly, not all of your employees will want or truly need to work from home. However, with the advent of digital work tools, telecommuting is changing the way you do business, from large-scale work-from-home arrangements to occasional virtual meetings. You can create a work-from-home system where everyone has the option even if it is temporary and subject to performance review.

4. Lead your teams through a solid workplace culture

This is the key to good organizational performance. Make your employees feel that they are part of the organizational culture, that they are an essential piece of the whole, and that without them things would not run the way they do. In other words, make them feel like they know the truth. 

There is a strong correlation between feeling part of a strong corporate culture and wanting to stay for the long term. 

A workplace that is not inclusive does not inspire a desire for growth in anyone. Host events at regular intervals where your employees can connect with each other, which is much more likely to happen in a more relaxed setting. Let them share your goals, projections, and plans. Have an open ear for suggestions as they come up.

The most important common indicator in this process is communication. Secure channels of communication are critical, and even when they take the form of formal instances, it’s important not to wait for meetings to make sure your employees are doing well. Sometimes just walking up to someone and chatting a bit is enough to build trust.

If you know how everyone is doing, you are in a key position. If someone is not feeling well or is unmotivated, you can intervene in time before you find out with a termination letter.

5. Get professional assessment for coaching & training

Aim to build a team to help you train and coach your employees. Whether through a new training department (highly recommended) or an outside service, keeping your team up to date on everything they need to know to do their jobs will go a long way toward professional satisfaction.

An empowered employee feels good and fulfilled and sees their own performance as a growth process. Without a sense of growth and fulfillment, you cannot retain those who truly add value to the organization.

We live in dynamic times, and it is important that employees are prepared for the new challenges that the project you are working on may bring. If you train and invest in your team well, they will fully support you in the overall growth of the company. In this way, you are helping them to help you.

Employee retention through concrete & actionable decisions

To protect the integrity of your team and yourself as a business leader, you must have a plan to succeed in today’s needs. We have already seen that an employee will stay in a company for the long term if they see the fertile ground where they can grow and feel safe without sacrificing the possibility of professional fulfillment. 

If you want to make this a rule and not a temporary measure, you need to do it:

• Obtain general liability insurance that covers all parties involved. With solid protection, major litigation, workflow disruption and impact on results can be avoided.
• Complement these legal protections with on-site measures, from regular medical checkups to presentations on workplace safety and mental health, to ensure that every employee feels they are working in a healthy environment that promotes self-care.
• Encourage and promote the benefits of remote work. Although it is necessary to assess the feasibility depending on the needs of individuals and agencies, you should always keep the path open.
• Connect your employees to the fundamentals of your company culture. A sense of belonging is critical for long-term consistency.
• Don’t lose sight of the importance of receiving assessment and support from legal and training teams. Having your employees covered is not only about having an insurance policy but also about knowing how to maintain this day-to-day safety net.

The management of a successful company should always ask itself the question: Am I doing everything I need to do to fully support my team?

Start making these changes now by getting solid liability insurance and focusing on covering your business with the best terms. Constant staff selection can drain any growing business, so focus your energy on strengthening and empowering the resources you already have.