My executive director has recently been talking a lot about our organization’s need for a retention strategy. It sounds like a make-work project to me – can you clarify why spending time on something like this would be important?

The first thing you’ll want to address is the purpose for your retention strategy. Determining your purpose will assist you in identifying what needs to be included in the strategy, as well as programs and communications relating to your new retention initiatives.

When considering whether or not a retention strategy is critical for your organization there are a few things to take into account. I will explain a few of them for you here.

High rates of turnover are a common reason for developing a retention strategy. However, it is important to recognize that all turnover is not bad. Some turnover is good for an organization – it keeps the organization fresh and helps prevent “group think”, which can happen when a tight knit group of people work together for extended periods of time and no longer challenge the status quo. Also, when considering turnover rates, one of the most important factors is the cost of turnover for your organization. Consider getting started by traking turnover costs by department, age group, years of service and type of turnover.

Retention strategies can also be an integral part of maintaining your organizational culture. In this case your retention strategy may focus on organizational values. In this case, your retention strategy may focus on “walking the talk” or developing strategies and programs that strengthen the values of your organization.

Building a retention strategy is also important when an organization is planning organizational change. During times of change, many people get uneasy and may start to look for work elsewhere; in particular if there have already been some challenges in the workplace. In this case you may choose to formulate a retention strategy aimed at a certain work group, or even specific individuals, to ensure you don’t lose people that are key to your organizations ongoing success.

Keeping your clients, members and stakeholders engaged and satisfied is another reason to develop a retention strategy. When client needs are not met, it is usually clearly reflected in feedback and “fall off”. Over time, when service does not reflect an alignment of service with organizational goals/values, members look elsewhere for services. Maintaining a well embedded and engaged staff team, enables your organization to meet the needs of your members & clients effectively and efficiently.

A retention strategy can help identify and address why people are leaving your organization and reduce the rate of unwanted and costly turnover, while also supporting a culture that is engaged and committed to the people served by the organization.

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