Myths About Employee Morale Prevent

Companies from Achieving Retention Success

Despite years of research that point to far different solutions, many companies
use the wrong tactics when trying to improve employee morale, satisfaction and
retention. These myths prevail, in part, because businesses have used these methods,
however wrong, for a very long time and have become used to trying the same ideas.

Myth #1: People most often leave a company for more pay.
Exit interviews, conducted to learn why people leave an organization, contain some of
America’s greatest fiction. People frequently say they’re leaving for more money because
it’s the easiest reason to give. More often the causes leading to departure are related to
issues that were unsatisfying in the job or the company.
Typical issues that cause dissatisfaction are company policies and procedures, quality
of supervision, working conditions, relationship with the immediate supervisor and
salary.
Yes, pay does matter. While research shows most people don’t actually leave a job for
more money, there are two important facts: Very-low-income workers will leave for
more money because it’s a survival issue. For the rest of workers, the issue of money
actually is about fairness. People become dissatisfied with pay when they feel it is unfair
within the company, within the industry or when pay doesn’t seem to match the amount
or type of work required.
To increase employee satisfaction and retention, companies make more gains by
working to improve whether people feel a sense of achievement, recognition, competence
and growth, whether there are choices about how work gets done and whether employees
feel respected by management..

Myth #2: Incentive programs produce long-term profits and improve

productivity and morale.
So, who doesn’t like free stuff? However, incentives such as gifts and cash bonuses
for meeting speed and volume goals don’t affect employee commitment. They’re really a
throwback to outdated management beliefs that workers must be coerced in order to work
hard. All the extras don’t add up to the real glue that creates employee commitment: the
chance to learn and grow, meaningful work, good supervisors and respect and
appreciation for a job well done.
Incentives have been over-used particularly in the past decade, as management books
touted the importance of improving recognition of excellent work. Yet, studies show that
carrot-and-stick motivation actually does not pay off in long-term company profitability
or employee satisfaction or retention. To the contrary, incentives can harm quality when
employees aim for speed or other goals rather than quality.

Myth # 3: People don’t want more responsibility.

They don’t want more work if they’re already overloaded due to lean staffing; but
people indeed want the opportunity to grow and develop their skills, advance their careers
and have the opportunity for greater variety. Keep in mind what the research confirms:
People do want to try new things, to feel skillful and to experience the personal
satisfaction of higher levels of achievement.
People don’t need a job promotion in order to gain more responsibility. The same job
can be broadened to include more variety, more contact with different parts of the
organization and greater control over decisions on accomplishing work tasks.

Myth #4: Loyalty is dead.

Not at all, though it is ailing in many organizations. People are seeking greater work-
life balance than in the past, and employers have made great strides in providing more
flexible hours and dress codes. Still, people seek to make a contribution, and
organizations that provide healthy doses of the main satisfiers enjoy significantly lower
turnover and higher morale. Profits are higher, too, according to recent research studies.
Things have changed, indeed. Today’s workers will, in fact, change careers and jobs
much more often. When the economy is good, people have become much more at ease in
changing companies, are more likely to acquire new skills and move to companies that
offer greater chance to use more of their knowledge and more willing to take the risks of
starting anew at another organization.
What has emerged in current management studies are that the same qualities that hold
employees are the ones that best serve the customers: Employees who can make quick
decisions on behalf of the customer and the company; employees who have a broader
scope of responsibility that allows them some freedom and leverage to solve customer
problems; learning opportunities that give employees the skillfulness to address customer
issues; and supportive management and supervisors who use any mistakes that occur as
teaching opportunities.

Myth #5: Improving employee satisfaction is expensive.

Research tells us the true satisfiers can’t even be bought: career growth, meaningful
work, respect and appreciation and being able to influence how work gets done. In these
leaner times employers have the same opportunity to gain true loyalty despite lowered
budgets.
The trinkets and prizes given in recognition and rewards programs aren’t necessary
ingredients for developing an engaged workforce. The “glue” that holds people is made
of much different stuff: Management that listens and responds to employees’ ideas about
improving service, supervisors who support people’s growth and initiative, training in
how to do the job successfully, good relationships with coworkers and genuine
appreciation for a job done well. There are no costs incurred to build or enhance these
motivators.

Myth #6: Employee satisfaction is “fluff.”

Does having engaged workers make a difference in the bottom line? Studies now
show that lower turnover and greater levels of employee satisfaction have a definite
positive impact on customer satisfaction and profitability, which are the key factors in
company growth and sustainability. Consider these facts:

• A strong link was found in a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers between employee

retention and the quality of service as rated by companies’ customers.
 • According to the American Society of Training & Development, organizations
that invested the most in training had higher gross margins and income per
employee.
• The cost of replacing an employee who leaves has been estimated by various
studies to be between 70 and 200 percent of that worker’s annual salary.
• The Council on Competitiveness found that a 10-percent increase in education has
a more positive impact on productivity than a 10-percent increase in work hours.

The bottom line on the bottom line? Investing in people and using the most effective
management practices increases profits.

Myth #7: Supervisors are the problem.

Many senior leaders express dismay about the quality and actions of their middle
managers and front-line supervisors. The “blame game” is old, yet the solutions are
strikingly similar to those required to build an engaged workforce.
In most organizations today, supervisors have more people reporting to them than in
the past, more demanding customers than ever and greater amounts of change – all
occurring at the same time. Yet, the amount of training provided to managers and
supervisors in many organizations is minimal. More importantly, the amount of time that
senior managers spend in dialogue with middle and line managers also is minimal.
Middle managers and supervisors can appear resistant to improvement efforts.
However, the true failure exists in our understanding of their world, the challenges they
face and the support they need in order to be successful.
Successful organizations seek to build teamwork between senior leaders and middle
managers and line supervisors (which is a key ingredient in creating teamwork
throughout the company).

Myth # 8: My company/industry/people are different!

Yes, every company is unique, and every industry has its own set of unusual
challenges. However, a very costly mistake is made when we believe information from
other sectors doesn’t apply to us or our organization.
Retention research studies cross all industries, all types of work settings and in varied
economic conditions. Still, the same results come up time and again. We build employee
loyalty – and, indirectly, customer loyalty – through providing people with growth and
learning opportunities, minimizing red tape, allowing people to think and make good
choices, supporting middle managers and front-line supervisors and appreciating the
efforts that people give to help our customers.
It’s downright dangerous to ignore these findings – risky to the bottom line and the
organization’s future.

http://www.employeeretentionstrategies.com/myths.htm

7th oct 2010.

Time- 8.30 am

Hallmarks of Retention Superstars

10 Themes Define Retention-Rich Organizations and Healthcare
Leaders

In examining both the research and the practices of retention leaders, 10 themes
emerge. These themes are core beliefs that govern decisions that affect employees,
and, in turn, customers.
Some of the leading stars are hospitals and nursing homes, which have risen to
the challenge of what will be the greatest shortage of caregivers and technical
professionals in our history. Keep in mind: Hospitals are also struggling with
reduced reimbursement rates, greater levels of technology, an ever-increasing
knowledge base for their employees and a more knowledgeable, demanding
consumer. In spite of these challenges, hospitals are leading the way in building
magnetic cultures employees rave about.

1. Value your employees, and you’ll have better business results.

Independent studies of Magnet hospitals, designated by the American Nursing
Credentialing Committee for high levels of retention and best nursing practices, show
better outcomes for patients, lower mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay and increased
patient and nurses satisfaction rates.
Turnover rates are significantly lower than non-Magnet hospitals. When taking into
account that it costs 150 percent of a nurse’s salary to replace him or her, the savings are
substantial, indeed.
Retention superstars also value their managers and supervisory staff, providing needed
support for them to lead well.

2. Employees who contribute to how work gets done are more engaged
and loyal.
The 2007 #1 spot on Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For is Google,
which has a mere 2.7 percent turnover. Google allows its engineers to spend a portion of
their time on projects they choose.
One past winner, American Cast Iron Pipe Company, boasts the lowest turnover rate,
at only 2 percent. At ACIPCO, a Fortune Best Company for multiple years, employees
are represented on committees to ensure fair and uniform work rules, rates, apprentice
training, seniority, medical service and the charity fund distributions. And, there’s more:
Twelve employees are elected to a Board of Operatives, one is elected as clerical director,
an employee-at-large advises management on employee relations and four elected
employees are voting members on the ACIPCO board of directors. Visit
www.acipco.com for more.
From the healthcare arena, local decision-making is king at retention-superstar facility
and Magnet Award winner St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho: “We
have shared governance in all hospital areas. People participate in decision-making,
determining what kinds of education and training they need, patient-care issues and
there’s self-scheduling in some areas.”

3. Pay and benefits matter. But you can’t “buy” true commitment.
Scan the list of the 100 Best Companies (available at www.fortune.com) and you’ll
notice a plethora of attractive employee benefits, from on-site medical/dental clinics to
day care and fitness centers.
However, it’s not the glue that holds top talent. Sixty years of research still tell us that
the true motivating environment is based in the intrinsic motivators of choice in how
work gets done, seeing results from the work performed, meaningful work and learning
and growth opportunities. Yet there’s no denying the powerful message sent by
management when it channels resources into benefits that impact the well-being of
employees and their families. Duncan Aviation, a recent 100 Best, boasts a low 6-percent
turnover rate and provides $8,000 in scholarship funds for each employee’s child.
Healthcare had to face the hard facts that nurses and nursing aides were underpaid.
Salaries have increased. However, Magnet hospitals also shine for their workplace
cultures.
At Boise’s St. Luke’s the belief has been: “You don’t have to pay the most. We don’t
feel we’re going to get people to come and stay because of pay . . . We want people who
want to take good care of patients.”

4. Layoffs are a last resort.

Loyalty is a two-way street. An economic downturn is where the rubber truly meets
the road. The no-layoff policy at semiconductor company Xilinx has remained intact in
the historically bad technology downturn. Employees had pay cut 6 percent; the CEO
chopped his pay by 20 percent.
Yes, management often must use layoffs to save the company. However, employees
always wonder whether there isn’t more management can do in marketing, product
development and streamlining business processes. Credibility is on the line.

5. Learning and development are priorities.

Edward Jones, which formerly held the Number One slot on the Fortune list, spends
3.8 percent of its budget on training, with employees averaging 146 hours. New brokers
receive four times as much.
“Grow your own” is how talent-short industries are bringing people into the field.
Hospitals are leading the way, with nursing school programs located right on their
campuses. Paid tuition helps lower-wage nursing assistants get their RN degrees and
move to a higher skill level.
European nations never let go of their apprentice programs, but here in the US we’ve
slacked off in many industries. What better way to have employees skilled in exactly the
methods and practices your organization needs than to train them yourselves?

6. Reputation breeds retention.

Nurses seeking a new job look to the Magnet-designated hospitals. Word is spreading
about the Eden Alternative concept of involving nursing-home patients and staff
members in how their facility operates is bringing new vitality to residents’ lives. Some
of these facilities even have waiting lists of prospective employees – in an industry with
intense staff shortages..
Magnet hospitals unabashedly promote their status. Hackensack Medical Center let
the world know on roadside billboards. Cedars Sinai handed out free phone cards to its
1,200 nurses, suggesting they call their friends and brag that they work at a Magnet
hospital.
How does your organization stack up? How many job applicants are referred by
current employees? How many people visited the “careers” section of your web site after
publication in the media of an article about your company’s community-service deeds or
workplace attractors?

7. Simple and lean allows people to do what they love. Work should
make sense.
Beware: Younger-generation workers have even less patience for tedious processes,
unnecessary paperwork and needless bureaucracy. The key to improving productivity in
your organization may be as simple as: Get out of people’s way! Learn about lean
processes to explore how unnecessary paperwork and approvals can be eliminated.

8. The Golden Rule still rules.

Respect for employees by management is a hallmark of organizations with low
turnover. Treating employees no differently than managers expect to be treated is a
cultural imperative at organizations truly committed to their workforces. These
organizations have narrowed the traditional management-worker gap.
Most noteworthy is that employees generally pass along how they’re treated to how
they regard customers. We know, too, that losing a key customer-contact employee often
means losing the customers who depended upon them.

9. Keep people “in the know,” not in the dark.

A study at George Mason University found employees stated their three top
motivators as appreciation, being well-informed and empathy. People care deeply about
their work and want to know their efforts are helping the company and its customers.
Baptist Health Care Corporation has a “no secrets” culture in which results of
customer satisfaction, finances and employee satisfaction are shared with everyone.

10. Hire as if you could choose your family members.

We’re talking more than reference checks here. Every person who joins your
organization will impact others. Culture is a delicate thing; treat it with care. Keep current
with the best learning on interviewing methodologies, and check for consistency of
applicant values with corporate values and vision.
Spend as much time as necessary getting to know candidates – and allow them to
spend as much time in and around your organization as they’d like. Imagine you were
stuck in a snowstorm or fogged in at an airport with this person. Would they give up their
last quarters so you could get a candy bar out of the snack machine?
 “Hidden” Costs of Turnover Can Greatly
Exceed Numerical Calculations
Finding data on the cost of turnover is easy – many researchers have been able to
quantify hard-dollar costs of losing valued employees.
However, many costs occur that can’t be assigned dollar amounts. These “costs’
can far outweigh the traditional, hard-dollar calculations – and organizations are
incurring huge, unseen losses productivity, customer satisfaction, reputation among
job-seekers and, significantly, in the morale of the departing employee’s co-workers.
When we take into account that about three-quarters of employees polled by the
Society of Human Resource Management and the Wall Street Journal’s
CareeerJournal.com said they are looking for a job (according to information
released by the Institute of Management and Administration in 2007), the costs of
turnover can be nearly crippling to organizational finances and marketplace
position.

Consider these examples, looking at the hard dollars incurred that result from unwanted
turnover as determined by research studies plus the costs that can’t be measured
precisely:

• Average employee turnover is 14.4% annually, according to the Bureau of

National Affairs. And, turnover rates are on the rise, the Bureau now reports;
turnover also varies widely among different industries.

Yet, we can’t measure the blow to morale and increased job stress when
remaining employees are burdened with the distribution of the departed
employee’s workload. We also can’t always determine the negative impact on
customer service.

• Replacement costs for a departing employee are estimated at one-third of his or

her salary. Even at the former minimum wage, the cost to replace an employee is
$3,700. The US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates
average costs to replace a worker in private industry at $13,996. (To determine an
organization’s annual turnover costs, simply multiply turnover cost by the number
of annual new hires.*)

We can’t measure the future turnover of employees who are lured to other
organizations by their friends who have departed. With all organizations in an
industry competing for talent, informal networks are powerful resources for job
seekers and friends often follow colleagues to other employers.

• The cost to replace a registered nurse is 1.2 to1.3 times his or her salary, which is
substantially higher than for most other times of workers. We can’t measure the
 damage to an organization’s reputation when customer service falters due to low
staffing levels. When customers are unhappy, research shows they’ll tell their
stories to more people than they’ll share a tale of good service.

Additionally, the current nursing shortage means that those remaining will have
higher caseloads, possibly face mandatory overtime and incur greater job stress –
all contributors, according to the research, to nursing turnover. Nearly half of all
nurses under age 52 have said they expect to change jobs within five years.

• A 3,000-employee organization with average salaries of $45,000 that reduces

turnover by just 1% can save $1.3 million, according to the Voluntary Hospitals
of America.

We can’t measure how employees feel when an admired, valued co-worker

chooses to leave the organization. People naturally begin to consider their own
options.

• Estimates have determined that lost knowledge that leaves with the departing
employee can be as high as 50% of the exiting employee’s salary for one year of
service; and, this figure grows by 10% for each year of employment.

We can’t measure how many new ideas and innovations each employee might
generate in the future to help the company. Nor can we determine his or her
potential to be promoted to higher-level roles and leadership positions.

• On average, 30% of a financial advisor’s clients will move with their advisor if he
or she changes firms.

We can’t measure customer loyalty to staff. Customer loyalty often is people

loyalty: Customers trust and build relationships with their contacts, often more so
than to the organization. Out the door go not only the confidence in this
employee, but future referrals from the employee’s loyal customers.

Is All Turnover Problematic?

Of course not. Poor performers, those who are not the best fit to their roles and
discontented staff typically are not considered unwanted turnover. In fact, one study
showed that as high as 50% of employees are disheartened that their organizations
tolerate inadequate work and poor work ethics.
However, controllable turnover – the loss of desirable, talented staff remains a costly
concern – often with a price tag higher than most organizational leaders may perceive.

Is There Any Good News?

Fortunately, yes! For the flip side of employee turnover – the gains of creating high-
satisfaction workplaces, click here for the next article.

* Turnover calculators are available on a number of Internet sites, enabling easy calculations for the cost
of turnover for specific positions and organizations as a whole.
 The (Very!) Good News About Employee
Satisfaction
Shows Positive Results in Bottom Lines &
Customer Loyalty
Organizations that make commitments to creating the type of workplace cultures
that fully engage employees at all levels continue to reap abundant financial
rewards, as well as enhanced reputations among customers, potential customers and
among skilled, top-performing prospective employees.

Consider the following:

• Money invested in the “100 Best Companies to Work for”® would have returned
almost three times more than the same amount of a portfolio in the S&P 500
during the past six years

• The Number 1 “Best Company” for 2007 is Google, where turnover is 2.6% -- a
record low. Keep in mind that Google has a fast-paced, stressful and demanding
work culture!

• The 2006/2007 Work USA® survey of more than 12,000 US workers across all
job levels and in all major business sectors shows that financial performance of
organizations is strongly related to employee engagement.

• This same study found that, for the typical S&P 500 organization, a significant
improvement in employee engagement is associated with a $95 million increase
in revenue.

• Additionally, the Watson Wyatt Human Capital Index® study of 147 employers
found that firms that fill vacancies quickly (within a month) have financially
outperformed those that take longer by 48 percentage points over a three-year
period.

• A study by Cornell University professor Christopher Collins found that small

businesses that implement employee-management strategies experience 22.1%
higher revenue growth, 23.3% higher profit growth and a 66.8% reduction in
turnover over companies that do not use similar practices.

• In the world of healthcare, where nursing and healthcare worker shortages are
extremely challenging, Magnet Hospitals, accredited for low turnover and better
patient outcomes by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, found savings not
only in turnover costs but also in shorter patient stays.
 • An organization with 3,000 employees and an average salary of $45,000, a 1%
reduction in turnover equals savings of more than $1.3 million, according to a
2002 study by the Voluntary Hospitals of America.

What is more difficult to measure is the value of the good or excellent reputations of
organizations with high employee engagement when it comes to attracting the best talent.
The value of “I really want to work there!” is hard to measure, yet priceless in recruiting
efforts.

The Essential Retention Bookshelf

Authentic, effective and lasting organizational improvement only can occur when
change happens at the systems level. Fundamental systemic change can alter the culture
to bring forth the key motivators of:

• Meaningful work
• Learning and development opportunities
• Choice in how work gets done
• Feeling competent and a sense of contributing to important results
• Respectful and appreciative workplace

You won’t see most of these on typical reading lists. Employee Retention Strategies’
goal is to help leaders see the underlying contributors to retention and make the essential
changes to build lasting, sustainable retention-rich™ cultures. No quick fixes here; yet
reading rich in research and theory-based practices.
 Recommended reading for the journey focuses on new and older classics for
transforming organizational cultures:

The Stuff Americans Are Made Of by Josh Hammond and James Morrison (New York:
Macmillan (1996).

Sadly out of print, but available used on Amazon.com. Our most-recommended book
for gaining true insight into what Americans want at work. Based on archetype research,
a true eye-opener into what drives us to excel, develop commitment and build our loyalty
to our organizations. This book is a follow-up to Incredibly American by Marilyn
Zuckerman and Lewis Hatala (Milwaukee: ASQC Quality Press, 1992).

The Unshackled Organization by Jeffrey Goldstein (Portland, Ore.: Productivity Press,

1994).

Dr. Goldstein elegantly and simply translates the New Science of emerging
organizational theory into understandable, actionable concepts. A delightful book that
connects the dots of the new theoretical applications into language and ideas we can
easily grasp.

First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman (New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1999).

Uses 25 years of Gallup research to delineate 12 essential components of employee

satisfaction and engagement.

Work 2.0: Rewriting the Contract by Bill Jensen (Cambridge, MA: Perseus, 2002). Also
visit www.work2.com.

Short, to-the-point on what people expect from today’s employers – and we’re not
talking about money and benefits here. How leaders can help people accomplish more,
create more and serve customers better.

The Empowered Manager by Peter Block (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987).

Peter Block is the standard-bearer of principles to create organizations in which

everyone takes responsibility for results – and how management can (unintentionally or
otherwise) get in their way. Essential for cultural change. And, Block’s thoughts align
with what younger generations are seeking at work – long before the research emerged.

One more time: How do you motivate employees? by Frederick Herzberg (Harvard
Business Review, January-February 1968.

One of the most-requested HBR reprints of the classic discussion that distinguishes
attempt to improve surface issues from creating authentically inspired work
environments. Important reading for organizational leaders puzzled by failed attempts to
improve morale and retention.

Punished by Rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, As, praise and
other bribes. by Alfie Kohn (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999).

The appropriate sequel to Hertzberg, Kohn leads a lonely battle against behaviorist-
style carrot-and-stick rewards. Kohn shows how we have come to rely on use of
unproductive rewards use in our schools, in our parenting and in our workplaces. He
suggests creating culture and job structures that build in the key intrinsic motivators. The
current bestseller, Good to Great by Jim Collins (New York: HarperBusiness, 2001)
states the case for hiring motivated people and creating the right conditions for
maintaining their intrinsic motivation.

The Working Workshop™

A Different Approach for Faster Results With No (or Low)
Implementation Costs

Typical workshops consist of a lecturer doing most of the talking, referring to

PowerPoint® slides. Quite differently, the Working Workshop™ format is a roll-up-
your-sleeves, let’s-put-these-principles-to-work interactive event.

Each participant leaves with specific ideas, tailored to his or her unique workplace
environment, that can be implemented the next day – and almost always with no cost.

In only one day, your organization will benefit from the new understanding of:

• Why pay is limited as a retention factor

• What today’s workers truly seek
 • Why no-cost strategies are the true “glue” that retain top talent
• How to tap into the heart of high morale and productivity
• How incentives and rewards fail as long-term motivators or as effective retention
tools

What also sets apart workshops provided by Employee Retention Strategies are:

• A focus only on research-proven methods for improving employee retention

• The opportunity to create specific ideas to implement in your organization,
department or work group that are tailored to your key objectives
• Avoidance of gimmicks, rewards and other quick fixes that can demoralize top
employees and reduce management credibility
• Building an understanding of systemic issues that are contributing to turnover and
how to create effective, lasting and positive change
• A focus on current organizational strengths that can be quickly enriched to result
in greater employee commitment and engagement

Workshop Benefits

Deeper

Retention isn’t skin-deep. Improving employee retention and morale involves a

significant culture change. Workshop participants learn to look beneath the surface and to
understand the impact of belief systems that affect retention success. They then learn how
to effectively create change at the systems level.

Smarter

Develop a higher retention I.Q. Despite the shortage of healthcare workers, only half
of US hospitals have retention programs – and only 10% of those are effective* All
Employee Retention Strategies’ workshop content is based on solid research and applied
theory. Workshop participants leave equipped to distinguish effective approaches and
effective ways of implementation. They will also learn the importance of building on
already-present strengths to produce faster results.
Every participant receives a workshop manual containing exercises they can use with
work groups at their facility and a bibliography to continue their learning journey.
* Journal of Healthcare Management, Sep/Oct 2002

Faster

Participants can use tomorrow what they learn this day. No budget? No problem!
The “glue” that holds employees can’t be bought. The workshop provides a new toolkit
for a deeper understanding of the most successful retention ideas. Participants also learn
to customize the best practices from retention superstars to their facility’s culture and
their organization’s strategic objectives.
Customized

One strategy does not fit all. Each attendee leaves with multiple ideas they can
implement the next day in their facility – strategies that fit the unique nature of their
employees and their environment. Workshop content also can be designed to meet
participants’ needs and to address issues specific to your region, your facilities.

Lasting

Enduring change, not program-of-the-month. Our participants leave this workshop

knowing the difference! Leaders who have taken this workshop now have the foundation
to travel the waves of change, to understand systems, to use small changes to create
major shifts and to deploy only research-supported methods to create sustained change
and measurable results.

Enlightening

Seeing retention in an entirely new light. Participants leave with a new awareness of
all that is possible for their facility and their people. They’ll learn to move from merely
solving problems to discovering unknown strengths and capabilities. These well-prepared
change agents can create a new retention-rich culture in which people grow and learn and
discover greater joy at work together.

Consultation & Coaching for Retention

Employee Retention Strategies provides consultation services for organizations that are:

• Considering retention initiatives

• Wanting to improve effectiveness of current retention activities
• Aligning workforce retention and attraction to strategic plans and initiatives.
• Undergoing rapid change or extraordinary situations requiring change-
management guidance
• Encountering marketplace shifts impacting the organization and its employees
 • Seeking to enhance internal and external communication related to workforce
issues

Coaching services can enhance the abilities of leaders, managers and supervisors in
achieving greater employee engagement, productivity and business results.

The coaching approach examines current practices and identifies strengths that can be
built upon quickly for maximum results. Employee Retention Strategies helps leaders
align their daily management activities to what research shows will be most effective in
building morale and retention.

Coaching includes:

• Skill-building for achieving best practices in creating effective teams

• Prioritizing “people” issues and concerns while balancing organization and
customer priorities
• Approaches to collaborative interactions with staff, including solving problems,
customer-retention challenges and building
successful interpersonal relationships
• Understanding systems and bring about change that is effective and lasting
• Creating alliances among senior leaders, middle managers and front-line
supervisors to improve organizational effectiveness

Communicating Retention
Initiatives Essential for Success
Employee Retention Strategies also helps organizations provide effective
employee communication to improve commitment and enhance workforce support
for key corporate initiatives. Consultation focuses on marketing-communication
efforts related to organizational cultural change activities and to building employee
and customer loyalty to new company goals and services.
 Employees can be fully engaged in change initiatives only when they understand and
appreciate the importance of company goals. When equipped with full understanding of
where the organization is heading, staff can then tailor their daily actions to effectively
support key strategies, initiatives and customer-focused programs.
Every employee needs – and wants – to know:

• What’s my company doing to stay competitive in the marketplace?

• How will my organization seize the opportunities of the market and economy?
• What can I do, specifically, to make a difference?

Recent studies have shown:

• Only 52 percent of employees feel they know how their job helps promote
company objectives, and
• Only 39 percent of American workers trust their companies’ senior leaders

Yet, there’s also good news:

• Companies in which employees trust top management had shareholder returns

that were 42 percentage points higher than those whose workers lack confidence
in management
• A 5-percent increase in employee loyalty can increase profits by as much as 50
percent.

Communications services include:

• Consultation and review of existing communication processes and content

• Development of new media for employee and customer communication and
education
• Business literacy programs to help employees understand markets, strategies and
basics of corporate finance
• Communication programs for organization-change initiatives
• Communication to support targeted quality initiatives, JCAHO review, Magnet
award attainment and Malcolm Baldrige assessments.
About Employee Retention Strategies: Philosophy
and Approach
Linda R. Schwartz, M.Ed., established Employee Retention Strategies in 1998 with a
specific vision of helping to create healthy workplaces in which everyone is presented
with opportunities for growth, learning and to make contributions to important corporate
goals.

Linda’s work helping organizations fully engage, develop and enhance the productivity
of their employees is notable because of her leading-edge approaches that address the
systems and processes that fuel workforce commitment.

Using a strong research and theoretical base of what truly motivates today’s employees,
Linda works with organizations to find the strongest leverage, in large or incremental
steps, for greater employee involvement, trust, leadership quality and genuine support of
company objectives. Her workshops provide participants with an understanding of theory
and research and then provide individual guidance in creating specific strategies for their
own workplaces that align with research findings and proven best practices.

Linda formerly published the international Employee Retention Strategies newsletter and
continues to present the Employee Retention Working Workshop™, guiding leaders in
creating specific, theory-tested tactics to effectively shift employee morale and
dedication.

An accomplished coach and mentor to leaders at all organizational levels, Linda uses
strengths-based approaches to help managers achieve faster personal and employee
growth and to teach managers how to decrease resistance to change among staff groups.

As a facilitator, Linda is a skilled practitioner of the innovative, whole-systems

methodologies of Appreciative Inquiry and Open Space Technology. These approaches
provide participants with maximum ownership of results to participants and produce
faster and more far-reaching change than traditional group-process methods. Participants
leave with new confidence in their organization and its capabilities, renewed alignment
with its mission and a shared understanding of members’ deep commitment to the
enterprise’s values.

Linda has presented seven times at the Arizona Governor’s Conference on Quality on
building a culture that supports quality initiatives. She initiated a city-wide event,
“Reclaiming Heart, Soul & Spirit at Work,” held in Phoenix in 1999. Other presentations
include Arizona State University national Conference on Quality and Management, 1998
with best paper award in category; and the American Society for Quality, Tucson, 1998.
Linda has been an active participant and past steering committee member of the Arizona
Regional Organization Development Network.

Linda holds a master’s in education in counseling from Northern Arizona University and
is a Licensed Professional Counselor by the State of Arizona Board of Behavioral Health
Examiners.