How can you attract employees? What can you do to retain employees? What can you do to increase employee performance? The common element among these three questions is people and how you attract, retain and motivate them, no matter what area they worked in.

It is the people an their attitudes that make the difference. And you, the business owner and your management team, have to first make the difference. You cannot have something on the outside if you do not have it on the inside. In the other words, you cannot attract good employees if you do not have the right attitude towards your existing employees and provide a good working atmosphere and growth opportunities.

Here is a summary of a team’s top answers on what helps to retain employees and increase employee performances;

Retaining employees

Keep your promises
Build employees self-esteem
Good access to management
Training and cross-training
Staff events/team -building
Incentives – recognition and rewards
Full-time employment for key people
Added responsibility, empowerment
Good working environment
Advancement opportunities
Hire the right people
Communication
React on employee suggestions
Regular staff meetings, parties
Flexible hours, rotating shifts
Clear policies and expectations
Everyone is equal
Partner with other businesses for off-season employment

Increasing employee performance

Ongoing staff training
Keep employees informed of status
Frequent/consistent rewards and recognition for performance
Set goals, review, evaluate, feedback
Integrity, ethics, conduct, praise
Empowerment, creative input
Proper systems, good equipment and safe working conditions
Good management
Include employees in problem-solving
Lead by example
Bonus – by hour
Discounts, family and friends
Mentoring programmes
Be sensitives to personal issues