Career Advice

Boost Employee Loyalty with These Proven Strategies

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Last Updated on January 25, 2025

As a small business owner, it’s understandable to be frustrated when trying to build the perfect team of employees to help you run your company. Not only do you face the unique challenge of finding the ideal candidate to fill the role, but you’re also competing with other organizations trying to do the same. Securing your employees’ loyalty can seem almost insurmountable, especially in today’s post-coronavirus landscape.

Fortunately, getting (and maintaining!) a team of happy and loyal staff does not need to be impossible. One way to help ensure that your employees remain committed to your business’s success is by providing them with an array of essential benefits. However, it’s important to note that not all benefits are the same, and some employees may wind up more miffed than grateful if you offer them the wrong type.

If you’re looking to establish a team of hard-working, loyal, and capable workers, you need to be able to both speak their language and understand their needs. You must give them something they can’t find anywhere else. By offering your employees these five benefits, you can help ensure they remain by you and your company’s side through thick and thin — and they won’t stray when you need them the most.

Strengthen employee loyalty with proven strategies that foster trust, growth, and engagement. Create a workplace where your team feels valued, supported, and motivated to succeed. #EmployeeEngagement Click To Tweet

What This Article Covers

  • The Challenge of Building a Loyal Team: Understand small business owners’ struggles in finding and retaining dedicated employees in a competitive landscape.
  • Offering a Retirement Plan or 401K: Learn how providing a retirement plan can give employees peace of mind and increase their long-term commitment to your business.
  • Importance of Paid Sick Leave: Discover why offering paid sick leave is essential for employee well-being and maintaining team morale, especially post-pandemic.
  • Healthcare and Life Insurance Benefits: Explore how health and life insurance show employees you care about their security and their families’ futures.
  • Performance Bonuses to Boost Morale: See how rewarding employees financially for their hard work fosters camaraderie and loyalty within your team.
  • Vacation and Paid Time Off (PTO): Understand how offering generous PTO policies improves productivity and demonstrates your appreciation for employees.
  • Building a Happy and Loyal Team: Learn actionable strategies to create a workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated to stay long-term.
  • Assessing Employee Satisfaction: Investing in your staff leads to a more productive team and a thriving business.
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A Retirement Plan or 401K

Many people worry about their future, even when the present is seemingly fine. Nevertheless, insecurities about what may transpire ten or twenty years down the road are still a very valid consideration for most employees. To ensure your employees remain with you for the long haul, you must give them much-needed peace of mind about their futures. One of the best ways to do this is by providing them with a retirement plan.

Research has shown that over two-thirds of employees who do not have a retirement plan in place through their employer feel they cannot retire comfortably. And of these numbers, nearly one-third are considering finding another job offering a retirement plan. The takeaway is simple: if you want your employees to stick around, you must offer assurance about their future through a retirement or 401K plan.

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that when an employee says they’re sick, we need to take them seriously. Gone are the days of asking staff to suck it up and come in, even when they’re feeling only mildly under the weather. Not only does that expose you to liability if your other staff becomes ill, but it can also severely harm your team’s morale. If you want your staff to know that you genuinely care about them and their wellbeing, you must provide them with paid sick leave.

Paying your employees sick leave isn’t just about showing them you care. The impact of having to work when ill isn’t just physical, either. It can also cause serious damage to their mental health, too. In turn, they may not work as hard as they should, become resentful, and start looking for employment elsewhere. To avoid having contagious dissatisfaction spreading among your staff, it’s imperative that they feel safe taking time off when sick.

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Healthcare and Life Insurance

If you asked your employees what they wanted from you, you might be surprised to learn that it’s not a raise that they’re secretly yearning for. One poll from Glass Door revealed that 40% of workers wanted insurance more than a pay increase. While this may seem like a stunning revelation, it makes perfect sense if you think about it. Extra pay only goes so far, and if your employees suddenly face serious health issues, it’s understandable for them to prefer insurance.

Both health and life insurance are ways of communicating to your staff that you have their backs if anything happens to them. In addition, life insurance indicates that you’re also looking out for your employees’ families. Certain insurance companies offer both term and permanent life insurance policy options; in fact, there are various options on the market, including life insurance without a medical exam. While nobody likes to think about something terrible happening to their employees, providing this option to your team is always smart and compassionate.

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Performance Bonuses

Working toward a common goal with your team can help establish camaraderie between yourself and your staff. However, if your employees see you reap the rewards of their hard work but they don’t get anything in return for it, it can quickly lead to disillusionment, bitterness, and even have them second-guessing as to why they’re working so hard for you in the first place.

Instead, take the time to thank your employees for their hard work in meeting major deadlines and milestones. You should thank them verbally, which goes a long way in demonstrating your gratitude, and offer them some financial compensation for helping your business succeed. The small percentage of your cut you give them will go much further than a pat on the back and a half-hearted thanks.

Vacation and Paid Time Off (PTO)

Curiously enough, one of the best ways to let your staff know you appreciate having them around is by not requiring them to always be around. Even the most devoted and loyal staff want time away from the office occasionally, and allowing them to take time off for their leisure can speak volumes about how much you value them.

Studies have shown that providing your employees with as much PTO as they need will make them more productive and work harder for you. That said, it’s important to emphasize that by offering them this time off, you expect them to do something for you in return: they still need to meet deadlines, do their jobs correctly, and not cut corners. However, this paid time off creates a sort of give-and-take that undoubtedly builds unwavering loyalty from your team.

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Are Your Employees Content With You?

As an owner or CEO of a small business, your employees are likely your company’s bread and butter. Sure, you could run your business with a lackluster team, but that will only compound your stress and make your job harder. By investing in your staff, you can help make sure they remain satisfied while in your employ. In turn, you can be confident that your business will continue to flourish as you all work together toward ensuring its success.

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