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How to prevent employee poaching
Picture this scenario: You hire an employee for a key position. They are like a dream come true. They know what you want, and consistently deliver excellent work. Their attitude is exceptional, and they are a positive force on the team. They are eager to learn everything, and you spend extra time with them teaching them things that enable you to spend more time on what you do best. For two years, you have been in with them. It is a joy. Then, one day, you get the proverbial “punch in the stomach”. They announce that they are leaving for another company. They were offered a much higher salary, and they just couldn’t pass it up. Most of us know this sick feeling. Is there any way to reduce the probability of a situation like this happening to us? Yes. We need to know and use the right motivators. There are two categories of motivators: One is maintenance, the other is motivator. Let’s start with maintenance. Here are the main ones:
- Safety
- Physical surroundings
- Fringe benefits
- Location of job
- Income security
- Job security
Let me demonstrate how these work: Let’s take salary. If your boss called you in one day and told you that you just got a 20% raise, that would probably give you some extra energy. The question is…for how long? One you absorb that raise, and it is blended in to your new lifestyle, it is no longer a motivator. It loses its “steam”
Now let’s look at the motivator group:
- Enlarged scope of personal excellence
- Opportunity to influence events
- Personal interest in work
- Recognition
- Sense of belonging
- Maximizing personal potential
- Achievement
- Promotion
- Growth
- Compatible
- Good job climate
When we raise the level of any one of these, we create a motivator that keeps on motivating. Yes, we need to give someone a decent salary. If you are strong in providing all the areas above, it is far less likely that the employee will leave for simply money. These areas are more challenging that the first list. They also yield a more sustainable dividend.