Page 41 - Retaining Top Employees

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The Secret’s in the Swing 29

“Home” Means Different Things
to Different People
We all stay where we feel at home—but the definition of
“home” varies from person to person.
I’m not suggesting that you find out what “home” means to every
one of your employees and then try to twist your organization into
some sort of chameleon-like “all-things-to-all-people” paradise!
What’s important is that you find out what sort of “home” your
organization is. Knowing this will help you recruit and retain people
who feel at home in your organization.All your retention activities will
be impacted by this hugely important but very simple concept—that
you aim to fit square pegs in square holes.We’ll develop this idea fur-
ther in Chapter 7.
Well, the problem is, you can’t make people feel at home—
they either feel at home or they don’t.
Imagine that a friend invites you to spend the weekend. You
arrive, but then find that the room where you’re staying is freez-
ing and you’re left to take care of your own meals. You decide
on Saturday evening that you’ve had enough and you’re leaving.
Your friend notices your annoyance (and packed bags) and, with
a considerable effort, turns on the heat and starts making you
dinner. Do you suddenly
feel at home? Of course
Words Make a
not—you remember the
Difference
way you were treated earli- Be careful if you find
er and it’s unlikely that yourself using imperative words such
you’ll be staying. as “make,” “cause,” or “retain” when it
Similarly, either an comes to employee relations. Even
organization has a wel- “retention” itself is a poor word
coming environment or it (though we use it here,to avoid con-
doesn’t. It’s hard to fake. fusion).With its overtones of “holding
onto,” “retention” implies that you’re
Successful retention isn’t
grabbing and clinging to employees to
about doing things to
keep them from leaving. Effective
make employees stay—it’s retention is when your employees
about becoming a gen- make a voluntary decision to stay,not
uinely welcoming place, when you hold them.