Why retaining and growing talent should be priorities for HR

Retaining and growing talent will be key topics for Pip Lyons of Culture Amp in her presentation at the upcoming HR Summit Brisbane early next month. 

“What we’re seeing through all of our research is that these are priority,” says Lyons, senior people scientist at the employee experience platform provider.

It’s important not just to resign to thinking that people will leave, and that it’s outside your sphere of control, she says. 

“Instead, let's think about how we can motivate, inspire and grow our current group of talent while they are at the organisation.”

Early indicators reveal workers’ intentions to leave jobs

The key to understanding is asking the right questions of your employees across the employee lifecycle, according to Lyons, “from when they come into an organisation, with onboarding, then through engagement surveys and asking people how motivated and committed they are, and then also exit surveys.”

That can help identify potential turnover risk areas.

“If you can understand why people might be leaving, you can take very strategic and intentional action for your employees specifically,” she says.

The two biggest reasons people leave their jobs are growth and role clarity, says Lyons. 

“With regards to the growth piece, this includes opportunities for development within their current role as well as future opportunities from a career perspective.”

Career growth and role clarity at HR Summit Brisbane

In her session at the HR Summit Brisbane, Lyons will discuss the signals that people are about to leave an organisation.

“I’ll be rolling out some information about what we’re seeing around career growth and role clarity showing up as the two biggest reasons that people have for leaving, and also talking about what can be done about that so that organisations can take action to retain key talent.”

The information can also be used to study key talent groups; for instance, those high-risk areas, high potentials or minority groups, to understand what’s driving them, she says

Interestingly, career growth – when it’s done well – is also the key driver for employees staying with an organisation, says Lyons. The second biggest driver to employee engagement is senior leadership and whether people feel they’re creating a motivating strategy.    

Tips for engagement survey success

Lyons also has constructive advice to help organisations gather the most valuable employee feedback data.

Getting the best results rests on the groundwork an organisation does in terms of making sure employees are also committed to the journey, she says. 

“Employers should be emphasising why feedback is important to them as an organisation, and communicate with employees to build trust in the process. It’s also important to enable managers and leaders to talk about the feedback and the employee experience. 

“The most important thing is showing what’s being done as a result of the feedback that’s been given – asking, ‘What are we doing to prove that our people have said X and we’ve responded?’ That’s a very intentional piece that we partner with our customers on building that communication, trust and that feedback loop.” 

Employers are often concerned about surveying employees too much, says Lyons.

“We always say it's not survey fatigue, but lack of action fatigue. Employees need to see and feel that their organisation is paying attention and taking action on survey results. That in itself builds trust in the process.”

Be sure to register today for the HR Summit Brisbane to be held on 7-8 November.