How to Foster Employee Loyalty

Loyal employees are committed to the success of an organization. Whether you are a supervisor in an organization or the owner, you need to be adept at developing this trait. The following steps outline the process to foster employee loyalty.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Set correct expectations from the start. Let your employees know what you expect of them and what they can expect from you in return.

2. Provide them with a safe and clean work environment.

3. Give them the necessary tools and training to do their job.

4. Strive to maintain a positive relationship with them. The main reason why employees leave an organization is because of negative experiences with their supervisors. It's simple--if they trust and respect their supervisors, they tend to stay. If not, they leave.

5. Earn their trust and respect. Say what you plan to do and do what you say.

6. Give them meaningful and challenging work.

7. Hold them accountable for their performance and address performance issues immediately.

8. Recognize them publicly for their achievements. When they demonstrate desired behaviors such as having perfect attendance or giving above and beyond efforts in accomplishing a task, promptly give them a pat on the back in front of their peers. A plaque, a cash award or a gift certificate helps too.

9. Pay them what they are worth.

10. Show them that you care. Eat lunch with them, ask about their families and interests, and visit them at their work areas. Genuinely listen to their suggestions and complaints. If there are any that needs immediate attention, act quickly and decisively.

11. Demonstrate the big picture to them by showing them how they impact the bottom line. This creates a sense of ownership.

12. Set a cadence for communicating with your employees. Schedule town halls, staff meetings, lunch-and-learns, and one-on-one discussions to share business updates, upcoming changes and to give feedback. More communication is always better than not enough.

13. Throw a party once a quarter and a big one at the end of the year.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have to let someone go because of poor performance or a breach of ethics, communicate the reason as soon as possible without going into details to the remaining employees.
• Assign mentors to new employees to help them get up to speed quickly and feel that they are part of the organization.

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