It’s time to Reimagine Employee Retention

According to Gartner, employee turnover is expected to be much higher than before, and it's
taking longer to find new employees. This puts a lot of pressure on managers who must spend
more time and money looking for new hires. If companies don't start focusing on keeping their
current employees, it will be hard for managers to make things better at work. To solve this
problem, leaders should help managers in three ways. First, they should encourage discussions
about how employees can progress in their careers, not just get promotions. Second, they
should create a culture where employees can try new things in their careers. Lastly, managers
should be rewarded for keeping not only their own team members but also helping people grow
throughout the company.

Managers are facing a tough time right now. They must do their regular jobs and help their
teams learn new skills and find new people to join. This is because many jobs will change a lot
because of technology. But now, they also must deal with more people quitting their jobs
because they don't see a future in their careers at their current company.

One of the main reasons people leave their jobs is because they don't see a way to grow in their
careers. Even though many employees are thinking about what work means to them, not all of
them are open to staying in their current company to find new opportunities.

Managers can be supportive, but it's hard for them. They want their team to do well, and they
are usually measured based on their team's performance. This means they might not want to
let their best people go to other parts of the company, even if it's good for the employee. This is
a problem because it can make good employees want to leave, and it can hurt the company in
the long run.

To solve this problem, we need to change how we think about keeping employees. Managers
should focus on helping their team members grow in different directions, not just getting
promotions. They should also create a culture where employees can try new things in their
careers, and it should be easy for them to do so. And managers should be rewarded for helping
people grow not just in their own teams, but throughout the whole company.
# Three key solutions to address the challenges companies and managers face in retaining
employees and promoting career growth:

Solution 1: Focus on Career Progression, Not Just Promotions.

❖ Many employees have quick and unhelpful career discussions due to busy work schedules.
❖ Quality career conversations are crucial and should serve two purposes: let employees
explore their career paths and provide practical support.
❖ Managers can help by identifying employees' strengths and discussing how those strengths
can be useful in different roles.
❖ They can also facilitate connections between employees and people from other parts of the
organization to explore internal opportunities.

Solution 2: Make Career Experiments Easy

❖ Applying for new roles within a company can be a lengthy process. An alternative is to
create career experiments.
❖ Career experiments allow employees to try out new experiences and opportunities in a safe
and enjoyable way.
❖ Managers can support this by enabling "borrowed brilliance," where employees temporarily
swap roles or work on short-term projects in other teams.
❖ The skills marketplace is another approach where employees are assessed based on their
talents, and projects are matched with the skills available in the organization.

Solution 3: Measure Managers on Employee Potential, Not Just Team Performance

❖ Instead of focusing on keeping employees within their own teams, managers should help
employees explore opportunities across the organization.
❖ Managers need to be evaluated based on their ability to enable internal mobility.
❖ Metrics should include the number of career experiments they support and sponsor, the
diversity of skills within their teams, and the percentage of internal hires.
❖ This encourages talent to flow throughout the organization and supports employees' career
growth.

Finally, to help employees stay and grow, we need to have better career conversations, make it
easy for them to try new things, and measure managers based on how well they help people
develop their potential across the entire organization. This will benefit both employees and the
company in the long run.
 How to Recover from work stress, According to Science

"To deal with work stress, many employers are offering support like virtual mental health help,
extra time off, and flexible schedules. However, it's important to recover from stress to benefit
from these efforts. When we're really stressed, we often don't take the time to recover, which
can lead to a cycle of exhaustion. To overcome this, you need to learn what works for you and
create a recovery plan. Here are five science-backed ways to recover from work stress (with
examples):

1. Take a mental break from work by disconnecting from it. This helps with recovery.

❖ Spend some time reading a book or a magazine that has nothing to do with work.
❖ Listen to your favorite music to relax and mentally distance yourself from work.

2. Use short, 10-minute breaks during your workday to refresh your mind and energy.

❖ Use a short break to socialize with a colleague and have a non-work-related chat.
❖ Practice a short mindfulness meditation session to calm your mind.
❖ Enjoy a healthy snack like a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts during your break.

3. Choose recovery activities you genuinely enjoy. Don't feel pressured to do things you don't
like.

❖ If you love gardening, spend your free time nurturing your plants.
❖ Take a dance class or engage in a hobby that truly interests you.
❖ If you're a fan of cooking, experiment with new recipes and enjoy your meals.

4. Engage in active activities or hobbies that require focus. They can be excellent for recovery.

❖ Take up jogging or cycling to get your heart rate up and boost your energy.
❖ Learn a new language or musical instrument to challenge yourself and develop new skills.
❖ Volunteer for a local charity or community project to make a positive impact.

5. Improve your surroundings by incorporating nature, even at work. This can boost your well-
being and reduce stress.
❖ Have lunch in an outdoor area, like a courtyard or park, to connect with nature during your
workday.
❖ If you have a window, open it to let in fresh air and natural light.

These strategies can help to maintain energy, mood, and performance over time, even when
one is feeling stressed.

Ahsan101.