In today’s market, there is a heavy demand for technical talent, and that means top talent has a lot of leverage. Some have dubbed this as “the Great Resignation,” with many employees making moves to companies that better suit their needs. Instead of passively hoping for the best, there are ways you can proactively ensure they stay before they have their foot out the door.
Pretty much everyone who loves what they do has something in common: They love to learn. So, it makes sense that if you want to keep your staff engaged and progressing in their career, it’s important to create a culture that fosters and celebrates education and professional growth.
As a manager, it’s your responsibility to keep your staff learning and growing to keep them happy, with the added benefit of keeping your company highly productive. This may feel daunting if you’re already stretched thin but oftentimes this is just a matter of carving out the time to sit down and talk, one on one, with your staff to find out what their interests and career goals are. This opens what will hopefully turn into an ongoing dialogue and reinforces to your team that they are supported and never stagnant in their roles.
Another key way to keep momentum in their career is staying on top of their strengths that could lead to new opportunities in the future. For example, if you have a business analyst that has keen attention to detail and is really thorough, that employee could be a strong contender for a data analyst or a business intelligence analyst position down the road because these roles require skills that someone with that core competency would likely love to learn and grow into. Even if these positions don’t yet exist or aren’t open quite yet, there may be a way to create a position for them or to keep them on the path toward the position when it does open to keep their interest piqued.
Tapping other team members to inspire and teach is a big asset when it comes to retaining talent. Consider assigning a mentor who can help them play to their strengths and grow into the new role that they have their eyes on. This could include showing them what specific job skills are needed to grow into their ideal role and how they can develop them. Additionally, you can work with your human resources department to keep your talent interested in their position and help them continue to grow by exploring different training options that are available through your company.
Perhaps the most important element of them all is communication. After you have these initial conversations with your staff, be sure to stay in touch to monitor how things are going and when/if it’s time for a promotion. This will have a positive ripple effect throughout your organization, as other team members may be inspired to have similar conversations with management and grow into new roles themselves.
If you’re experiencing big shifts in your organization right now, you’re not alone. Our team is here to support you in hiring and retaining top technology talent. Contact us today.