PI Worldwide Offers Best Practices for Improved Engagement and Retention

 Leader in science-driven insights, PI Worldwide, has put together five best practices to help organizations maximize employee engagement and retention of top talent. The best practices tips are designed to help employers overcome engagement and retention battles as a 2013 Gallup study on The State of the Global Workforce revealed that just 13 percent of employee s worldwide were engaged. Gallup said that this meant around one in eight workers—roughly 180 million employees out of 142 countries studied—are “psychologically committed to their jobs and likely to be making positive contributions to their organizations.”

How can employers increase this number? Check out PI Worldwide’s five tips:

1. Design Jobs with Growth Opportunities. People flourish in environments that support learning and development with continuous skill growth as part of the overall package. When creating job descriptions, articulate a clear path to promotion, opportunities to work on teams, to receive feedback from others, and to grow outside of the organization.

2. Monitor Job Satisfaction. A robust and consistent finding in organizational psychology is that satisfied employees are less likely to leave. Monitor employee satisfaction with frequency using both quantitative and qualitative means.

3. Maximize “Employee Embeddedness.” Evaluate the level of connection each employee has with the organization and job, which includes fit into the workplace, richness of personal connections, and what a person would have to give up if they left. The more embedded the employee, the more likely they will stay.

4. Manage Early Interactions. New impressions are formed fast and events that occur in the first hours and days can strongly predict turnover six to twelve months later. It is best to provide clear and early communication about culture and values, combined with frequent check-ins from multiple sources.

5. Develop Great Leaders. Employees want leaders who are committed for the long haul and to their own personal growth. A significant predictor of employee longevity is the longevity of the employee’s direct manager.