In this NYT article, CEO David C. Novak states there are two reasons people leave companies: either they don’t feel appreciated or they don’t get along with their boss. He continues by pointing out in order to retain your employees it is important to first recognize the talent within your company, take an active interest in them, and then find ways to help them succeed and grow in their career.

One would venture to say that it is the intent of most companies out there to retain their employees through good times and bad by finding ways to keep them continuously engaged and challenged. For what is important to an individual right after college is different eight years later, or twenty years into a career. It is often said that an individual will change careers at least three times in their lifetime.

So what prompts an employee to stay at a company of their own accord beyond monetary considerations? Priorities may change as an indiviudal moves through different phases of their personal and professional lives, but in speaking with employees at LifeSize, what emerged was a view in common with Mr. Novak’s charter above.

Namely, they felt it was important to be challenged and have interesting work; to work with a company that has great leadership and smart co-workers; to work on products that are successful and useful in the real world; and to like the people they work with and the environment they work in. Here are some additional thoughts on leveraging the talent within your company to retain the best employees:

Celebrate successes.
Listen to employees and tell them what you appreciate about their contribution.
Recognize their strengths often, acknowledge areas for growth and mentor them.
Help employees grow their career by initiating succession planning early on.
Provide a warm reception within company.
Create mutual and open communication with managers.
Keep them motivated by providing obtainable goals.
Help them stay connected by cross-pollinating teams.
Keep them actively involved in the company by having a say in your growth,
and include often in team decisions.

How are we doing? It was pleasing to hear consistent views on the strength of our company and how our employees felt included in our growth. LifeSize represents many of the qualities employees not only seek in a company, but stay with as well.