How do you ensure your best people remain, stay engaged, and committed to doing great work at your organization? This SlideShare shares seven missteps that could drive your best employees out the door and tips to make sure that doesn't happen.

1. 7 GREAT WAYS TO GET
YOUR BEST
PEOPLE
TO QUIT
I’M OUT
OF HERE!

2. Many companies invest a tremendous amount of time,
energy, and resources to attract top talent. But what
happens next? How do you ensure your best people
remain, stay engaged, and committed to doing great
work at your organization?
HERE ARE SEVEN MISSTEPS THAT COULD DRIVE
YOUR BEST EMPLOYEES OUT THE DOOR AND
TIPS TO MAKE SURE THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN.

3. 1. MAKE MEDIOCRITY
THE STANDARD
Set high standards for your
employees, Don’t downplay
company values and missions.
Instead, set high standards for
your employees.
Help them understand the
expectations you have for them.
Furthermore, help them
understand you expect their
best work.
VALUES + MISSION

4. Managing also means knowing when it’s our job
to actively do nothing. It means knowing when
to step back and allow your people to be all
they can be—with big ideas, fresh perspectives,
and sometimes a spicy and unexpected flare.
Great managers are the ones who know just
how firm their grip needs to be.
—Todd Nordstrom
http://blog.octanner.com/leadership/the-classic-over-squeeze-its-not-just-about-tacos

5. 2. TREAT EVERYONE
THE SAME
Your employees are not equal.
Some perform better and are
more valuable than others.
Instead of treating them equally,
try treating them fairly. This will
also lead to more personal and
meaningful employee
appreciation.
http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/Top_10_ways_to_ensure_your_best
_people_will_quit_47779.aspx
#1

6. As a boss, it is important to keep your eyes
open, in order to ensure you notice who in your
office is taking on the most or producing the
best work. This doesn’t necessarily mean those
who arrive earliest and leave latest but rather
those who are fully committed to the objectives
of your company. All it takes is a simple thank
you or email to say, ‘I recognize your effort and
I appreciate it.’ Your employees will be glad you did.
—Richard McMunn
http://blog.octanner.com/appreciation-2/how-to-use-appreciation-to-boost-employee-morale

7. 3. HAVE LOTS OF RULES
Rules give structure, but too many
rules—especially when they
demonstrate little trust—lead to
unhappy employees. No one likes
to work with someone constantly
looking over their shoulder. Ask
yourself what purpose these rules
are serving. If they are to
micromanage, you might be
looking at a loss of productivity.
Make sure your rules don’t
undermine or inhibit your team’s
ability to do great work.

8. 4. DON’T RECOGNIZE
GREAT WORK
People want to feel valued for the
difference they make. Call out and
appreciate great work as it
happens. This will inspire more
great work.
GREAT
JOB!!!

9. People have a fundamental human need to feel
valued, heard, and appreciated – particularly
when they feel they’ve done a great job.
—Scott Span
http://blog.octanner.com/engagement/5-ways-to-increase-employee-retention-and-reduce-turnover

10. 5. DON’T ALLOW
‘WEIRDNESS’ AT
WORK
Make work a place they enjoy.
Happy employees don’t quit their
jobs. In addition to fun events and
perks, make the office ‘weird.’

11. Our company culture is what makes us
successful, and in our culture, we celebrate and
embrace our diversity and each person's
individuality. We want people to express their
personality in their work. To outsiders, that
might come across as inconsistent or weird. But
the consistency is in our belief that we function
best when we can be ourselves. We want the
weirdness in each of us to be expressed in our
interactions with each other and in our work.
—Zappos
http://about.zappos.com/our-unique-culture/zappos-core-values/create-fun-and-little-weirdness

12. 6. UNDERCOMMUNICATE
Though you might think it’s for
their own good, instead, help your
employees stay up-to-date by
keeping them involved. Leaving
your people in the unknown dark
will leave you wondering where
they all went. Though you might
think it’s for their own good,
instead, help your employees stay
up-to-date by keeping them
involved.

13. 7. LET CAREER GROWTH
JUST HAPPEN
The employees you really like—the
ones you need, what are you
willing to do to keep them? When
they walk into your office with
offers elsewhere, how will you
convince them to stay? Make sure
you have career development
programs where employees can
see their future and create
specific goals for them.

14. When your employees see there is room to
advance their career within your organization,
it speaks volumes. Discover the skills and talents
the different members of your crew possess
beyond the obvious, and find ways to develop
those skills for future use in your business. When
you have a stellar team member, help invest in
the training they need to advance as your
company grows.
—Cheryl Snapp Conner
http://blog.octanner.com/editor-picks/the-many-new-ways-to-empower-great-employees

15. AS YOU EVALUATE YOUR OWN COMPANY, MAKE
SURE TO KEEP THESE SEVEN MISSTEPS IN MIND
SO THAT YOU CAN KEEP AND ADD MORE GREAT
EMPLOYEES TO YOUR ORGANIZATION.

16. JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
For more tips on building a great work culture,
join our community.

17. O.C. TANNER AND THE O.C. TANNER INSTITUTE
O.C. Tanner, a 2015 Fortune 100 Best Places To Work For
company, helps the world’s best organizations create great work
environments by inspiring and appreciating great work.
Thousands of clients globally use the company’s cloud-based
technology, tools, awards, and education services to engage
talent, increase performance, drive goals, and create experiences
that fuel the human spirit.
The O.C. Tanner Institute regularly commissions research and
provides a global forum for exchanging ideas about
recognition, engagement, leadership, culture, human values,
and sound business principles.