As employees are the most valued asset in any organisation, it is essential to work towards their betterment whilst the rest will fall in place.

A manager has to look for signs of frustration and despair among employees before its too late. Below are a few points for organisations to follow to sustain employee interest so that they don't drop out easily.

Most of the professionals these days choose to dropout from their job due to lack of interest in doing the same work over the years. Millennials switch domains quite often, because they want to explore new fields and are probably bored of their existing routine. An independent research about the trends in global workforce reveals some frightening statistics for Indian employers. 42 per cent of "highly engaged" employees in India could potentially leave their jobs in next two years. The report states that almost half of the Indian employees view excessive workload as the key source of stress, followed by inadequate staffing and unclear job expectations. A poor working environment has also been listed as an important source of stress for Indian employees.

The enthusiasm of every employee wanes with time. They drop out when they begin to find their job too ordinary, and thus often end up switching domains to explore new fields. The employer’s or the manager’s job is to ensure that the employees stay motivated. 

A manager has to look for signs of frustration and despair before it’s too late. Below are a few points for organisations to practice, to sustain employee interest so that they don't drop out easily. 

Enable employees to succeed in their jobs

The sense of satisfaction when performing any task should not be solely dependent on the end result. When employees feel they are able to achieve the end result, they will be motivated. Thus, helping employees reach their goals is a crucial part of any manager’s job. The goals set for employees should be viable, yet challenging and in-line with the bigger organisational goals. Once the goals are set, help break these into smaller tasks. Monitor, give feedback, recognise their performance, and motivate them. Purpose-driven motivation drives success. Individual success in turn leads to business success.

Create a safe environment for failures with a culture of risk – taking

It is important for organisations to create an environment in which employees feel comfortable taking risks irrespective of the end result. Organisations need to step up in designing an innovative risk-friendly ecosystem; one where employees are encouraged to go beyond the usual boundaries to experiment. Experts believe that mistakes and failures teach more than success. Firms need to understand the implications of taking risk, and encourage smart risk-taking. A culture of risk –taking can help generate new ideas and opportunities beneficial to the growth of the organization. 

Create an environment of collaboration and trust

Organisations need to build an environment of trust and provide avenues for employees to voice out their ideas. A competing and controlling environment goes against employees’ interests, especially in an era where team collaboration is being encouraged and seen as a step toward innovation.  Collaboration can lead to creating something new with diverse creative minds brainstorming. When employees come together to communicate, share ideas and innovate, it results in enhanced productivity and thus better outcomes for the company. It also helps lower the stress level in employees.

Listen to the team

Listening is a leader’s most important skill. Leaders who listen to their employees with an open mind are in a better position to lead the team effectively. Listening enables the leadership to collect facts enabling them to take decisions beneficial to the organization. As a leader one can influence the lives of people. Hence it is necessary to listen not just to the words, but also feelings and their underlying meanings. This enables each leader to get a better understanding of the team health too and take necessary measures to help his team members. 

Think of ways to enrich the job

Job enrichment is a medium through which team leaders can motivate self-driven employees by assigning them additional tasks. When additional tasks are being assigned to the team members, one has to ensure that they match their skills, knowledge and ability in order to keep their interests intact. Redistribution of authority and flexibility in decision making is yet another key method to enrich a job. Employees can be granted authority to make job-related decisions with the help of strategic discussion and support from leaders. All these will not only help enrich their job but also give them a sense of belonging. That they are valuable and their work is an important part of the organisation is emphasized.

Employees’ contribution should be valued and recognised

Employees are driven to achieve excellence when they feel engaged, supported and appreciated. According to experts, employee recognition is the purest form of motivation and employee satisfaction is derived from being part of an organisation that values their employees. Such employees are better connected with their job and the organisation leading to better higher retention rates. Even simple and small gestures go a long way. Showing gratitude, even with just a simple “thank you”, can help build an employee-friendly ecosystem at the workplace.

Job rotation and Career progression

Job rotation is an approach where employees are moved between two or more jobs in a programmed manner. With job rotation, employees’ skills, capabilities and experience are tested helping them grow. It helps to avoid cases of a person cornering a job and allows the employers to identify their hidden talents. This will help in creating a career progression plan for them, keep them engaged and work towards a bigger goal. By doing this, organisations can retain employees who otherwise would have left in search of newer opportunities. The end result is high retention levels and a large pool of organisation-specific expertise.

An organisation’s employment deal is the foundation of the experience it offers to employees. The employment deal defines the give and the take between the organisation and its employees. Managers play a particularly important role in ensuring an employee’s retention and interests. If the lack of interest is a recurring problem, the manager should consider talking to the employee concerned. Employees who feel appreciated will complete their tasks, overtake competition, cross the finish line, and end up on the podium. As employees are the most valued asset in any organisation, it is essential to work towards their betterment whilst the rest will fall in place.