It’s no secret that employee turnover is costly on many fronts. Losing a team member increases the workload — and adds considerable stress — for the rest of the team.  It also compels companies to spend time and money recruiting, courting, training, and re-training current and future staff.

Since the average time to fill an open job position is three months, the effective and proactive manager must work hard to retain his or her current productive employees. But how do you do that?  How do you keep your team from flying the coop?

Make Time to Listen

Sometimes, what seems like the simplest solution can be one of the hardest. Start by listening to your employees.  Schedule development meetings and block out regular one-on-one time between manager and employee that allows the employee to schedule the topics, ask questions, and guide the discussion.  Managers who listen earn respect, which makes for happier and more empowered employees.

Make Time for Fun

We spend more time at work than we do with our family and friends.  Making work fun not only lowers the collective blood pressure, but it also encourages your staff to stick around.  Building a solid team is tough work, but maintaining that team is an ongoing process.

What kind of fun activities could you choose? That depends on your team dynamic. A couple years ago, my team dressed up as Elvis impersonators at one of my company’s locations.  We rushed the call center floor in our Elvis costumes, complete with Elvis hair, glasses, jumpsuits, etc., and handed out oversized Elvis glasses and autographed pictures. Be creative! There are countless ways to inject fun into the workday.

Make Time For Small Talk

It’s often reported that employees quit their jobs due to issues with their managers, so it’s important to establish open lines of communication.  This means getting to know your employees and their interests outside of work.  This also means more small talk and less work talk, and taking time to focus on building relationships based on trust instead of on the bottom line. Small gestures and conversations require time and effort, but, like marriages, workplace relationships take work, too.

In fact, the Blessing White 2011 Employee Engagement report discovered a direct correlation between engaged managers and levels of engagement among their employees.  In an Australian survey on employee engagement, 51% of employees that were highly engaged had a personal relationship with their managers outside the office. Their results show that having personal relationships outside the workplace could potentially have a huge impact on the success of your team.

Make Your Expectations Clear

Managers who are clear with their expectations and upfront with their team’s various roles and responsibilities offer employees a more pleasant work environment. Instead of focusing on an employee’s weaknesses, focus on their strengths and give positive reinforcement.

It is baffling to me that some managers choose to keep their employees in the dark about their performance, instead of being upfront and honest.  This causes undue stress, negativity, and provides fodder for the office grapevine.  And most offices don’t need any help fueling gossip!  Change is hard but operating without direction is even harder.  If the world is having such a hard time adapting to the new Facebook layout, imagine the undue stress a manager’s lack of communication and focus might be causing!

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Like any relationship, there’s hard work involved in maintaining a healthy and happy workforce.  Managers who invest in their employee’s lives, interests, and development increase productivity and engagement. This makes it less likely that your employees will fly the coop, and more likely that you’ll keep your best people.