Employee retention

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Employee loyalty includes within the scope of the personnel policy all measures of a company to keep its employees as long as possible or to bind them to the company. The systematic bundling of various measures is also known as the retention program and includes various positive incentives to attract and retain qualified employees. Companies that value employee loyalty also show that they regard employees as their most important and valuable asset ( human capital ) and act accordingly.

Purpose and goals

The aim of employee retention and the resulting measures should be to address and retain talented, willing, performance-conscious and qualified employees in particular, who are particularly interesting for the company and important for maintaining skills and performance. Employee retention reduces the departure of employees, that is, the fluctuation , which is mainly in managerial and key positions of great importance, reduces high separation costs, strengthens the working environment and the continuity of cooperation and contributes to a positive employer image and employer branding at . Employee retention is also often important for employees with key skills that are difficult or impossible to acquire on the labor market.

Types of employee retention

One can distinguish between various forms of employee loyalty. To strengthen the emotional bond , depending on the strengths of the company and individual employee segments, measures are used at the level of the team atmosphere, corporate culture and superiors. With calculative loyalty , the employee weighs up which advantages and disadvantages he can benefit from in the company compared to other positions and what better suits his interests and goals (wages, career goals, employability, etc.). In the case of qualification-oriented retention, the focus is on development opportunities, further training offers, work content and employee development . This type of employee retention is particularly effective because high potentials and motivated employees respond to it to a particular extent and the company's contribution and influence on the level of performance is high.

Possible measures and instruments

Measures and fields of activity are present and to be found in the corporate culture , the management policy with socially competent managers, in specific services of human resource management and in the personnel policy and strategy ( personnel development , wage policy , development and trainee programs and more). There are several instruments for employee loyalty: Above-average employment conditions (e.g. wages , vacation , fringe benefits , irreversibility ), recognition or rewards for long-term employees, job security, development and trainee programs, the possibility of longer interruptions ( sabbaticals ), and - one always Corresponding to increasing needs - offers in the area of work-life balance and corporate health promotion . But also

  • Development opportunities and perspectives
  • attractive and challenging tasks
  • Further training opportunities that promote skills
  • attractive, flexible working time models
  • meaningful activities, goals and perspectives
  • Scope of responsibility and freedom
  • Decision-making and participation options

are important and often successful measures. A good working atmosphere, modern management tools, a corporate culture that respects and promotes employees and an attractive performance- oriented wage policy , career advice and career offers are also factors relevant to retention. There are more and more indications and studies that immaterial and emotional factors are more important and sustainable than material benefits such as high wages or bonuses.

The choice of suitable instruments

The choice of the most suitable instruments is influenced by several factors. These are primarily the employee structure, i.e. age, marital status, educational level, gender, family relationships, average length of stay in the company and more factors on the one hand and employee needs on the other. It also often makes sense to use different retention instruments for individual employee segments, for example according to functions, educational level, positions, life cycle, etc. When choosing retention instruments and measures, it is important that these correspond to company goals, strategies and values ​​on the one hand and employee demands and needs on the other hand, and that this correspondence is recognized by employees and managers. It is important to pay attention to employees who are willing and able to bind, even when recruiting (resume analysis, work motivation, willingness to identify with tasks and companies, etc.) and to favor such applicants, as this is also more permanent and sometimes causes high costs for companies Loyalty measures relieved.

Introduction and conception

The implementation of measures should be based on a systematic analysis of the current situation and the problem and consistently take place in relation to the causes and requirements. The focus on problem solving and needs can for example be supported by an employee survey and determined in employee interviews. The measures should be geared to the needs of certain employee segments and differentiated (age, educational level, family proportions, key positions, etc.), employees should be included in the decisions and be able to actively shape the measures from the start. Above all, one should take measures that strengthen employee development and qualification, with which one achieves a particularly sustainable and substantial loyalty effect and binds talented and qualified employees.

Sources and literature

  • Marco De Micheli: Sustainable and effective employee motivation . Praxium-Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-39522958-3-0 .
  • Jörg Felfe: Employee loyalty . Hogrefe-Verlag, 2011, ISBN 978-38017213-2-9 .
  • Prof. Dr. Martin Hilb : Integrated personnel management . Luchterhand Verlag, Zurich, 2011, ISBN 978-34720794-1-5 .
  • Herbert Janssen: Successfully attracting, developing and retaining the best employees . Praxium-Verlag, Zurich, 2011, ISBN 978-3-9523596-7-9 .
  • Jörg Knoblauch: Finding and retaining the best employees . Campus-Verlag, Zurich, 2009, ISBN 978-35933900-4-8 .
  • Martin Tschumi: Guide to personnel development . Praxium-Verlag, Zurich, 2011, ISBN 978-39522958-1-6 .
  • Gunther Wolf : Employee loyalty - strategy and implementation in the company . With working aids online. 4th edition. Haufe-Lexware, Freiburg, 2020, ISBN 978-3-648-13712-3 .
  • German Society for Personnel Management e. V. (Ed.): Retention management for practice. Find and retain employees who are crucial for success . 1st edition. Bertelsmann Verlag, Bielefeld 2014, ISBN 978-3-7639-5391-2 .