20 MiMfg Magazine May 2021
Premium Associate Member
Retaining Your Hard-Won Talent
By Kristi Stepp • Sigred Solutions
For employees that have become comfortable working from home on a full-time or part-time basis , the return to the office may cause anxiety and disruption . As important as onboarding is to welcome new hires to your organization , reboarding will be crucial to keep from losing your “ hard-won ” talent as they transition back to in-person work .
Here are three tips to retain talent you can implement immediately .
Tip # 1 : Plan for the People-Side
Returning to the office will be jarring for many . Childcare and schooling issues are still a challenge , returning to a commute may be stressful , and the overall uncertainty with the pandemic still creates anxiety . Developing a plan to help manage your employees ’ stress will help you retain them .
What you can do :
• “ Reboard ” your employees . Create a program to welcome your employees back to the office , even if some have been on-site already . This is also an opportunity to have in-person onboarding for new employees hired over the past 12-plus months .
• Develop temporary “ pandemic policies ” to address current challenges . Create fair and equitable policies to help reduce stress and smooth the transition to the office .
• Set clear expectations and make the goal of “ no surprises ” a top priority for management .
Tip # 2 : Communicate , Communicate , Communicate
Now is the time to review and refocus your communication plan . Returning to the office will create a lot of uncertainty . Open communication will help employees feel more comfortable with the transition .
What you can do :
• Communicate and re-communicate the plan . Openly share what is known and fixed with the transition as well as what is uncertain or may change .
• Make sure employees know that they are a part of the future , and how their teams are critical to success .
• Highlight employees and teams from all areas of the company to celebrate how people have exceeded expectations ( both before and during the return to the office ).
Tip # 3 : Train Your Managers
Managers had to quickly adapt as companies shifted to work from home . The return to the office — either full-time or hybrid — will require another change . Many
Webinar : Retaining Your Hard-Won Talent Wednesday , May 26 , 2021 • 8:30 a . m . With recruiting harder than ever , Sigred and Scan to MMA will help make sure you ’ re retaining Register your hard-won talent by helping them navigate the ever-changing workplace , communicating expectations and work plans and training your frontline leaders to support retention ( learn more on page 26 ).
managers will require training on how to effectively and empathetically manage teams that are a mix of on-site and remote employees , with much more complex lives .
Management training will support greater employee and team effectiveness and help ensure you keep your “ hard-won ” talent .
What you can do :
• Allow your managers to be vulnerable . Many of them are facing the same challenges as their teams .
• Train managers to focus on people , process and results . Just focusing on results can leave employees feeling frustrated and disengaged .
• Include your managers in your communication strategy and provide them with information to share with their teams on a regular basis .
• Provide managers with teambuilding tools and approaches to effectively lead hybrid teams .
We know that 2021 will continue to have challenges for both employers and employees . Retaining your best employees and helping them make the transition back to the office will require new skills and approaches . Following the tips above , and expecting some trial and error , will be necessary to find the right balance between employer and employee needs . 6
Kristi Stepp is a partner with Sigred Solutions , a management recruiting and leadership advisory firm . She may be reached at 248-434-7058 or kristi . stepp @ sigredsolutions . com .
Sigred Solutions is an MMA Premium Associate Member and has been an MMA member company since November 2020 . Visit online : sigredsolutions . com .