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Once a business finds people who consistently perform well, another challenge begins: learning how to keep them. In the conclusion of How to Hire A-Players, Eric Herrenkohl emphasizes that businesses need to focus not only on finding A-players but also on keeping the high-performing employees they have already invested time and resources into hiring (Herrenkohl, 2012). For a small business, this is especially important because losing a strong employee can affect productivity, customer service, and the rest of the team.

For my future business idea, retaining top performers will require more than just a paycheck. Employees need to feel that their work matters and that they are respected and appreciated. I would want to recognize employees who consistently provide excellent customer service, support their coworkers, and take pride in their work. I would also want to create opportunities for employees to learn new skills and take on additional responsibilities as the business grows. If an employee can see a future with the company and wants to be in a higher position, they may be more likely to view the job as a long-term opportunity rather than a temporary position.

Research on job embeddedness provides another perspective on why employees stay. Job embeddedness refers to the connections employees have with people and groups, how well they feel they fit within their job and organization, and what they believe they would give up by leaving. Research has found that job embeddedness is associated with lower intentions to leave and lower actual turnover (Jiang et al., 2012). This makes me think that creating a strong team environment could be especially important in a small bakery and café, where employees work closely together every day.

I also think communication is one of the most important parts in managing a team. As the owner, I would want employees to feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns rather than feeling like their opinions do not matter. I would regularly check in with employees, provide feedback, and recognize their contributions. At the same time, retaining top performers does not mean retaining every employee, regardless of performance. Maintaining clear expectations and accountability is necessary to prevent strong employees from becoming frustrated by consistently shouldering others’ workloads.

I see this in the position I am currently in as well. I manage a group of 11 Resident Assistants. As communication is a big part of managing, I believe that setting boundaries and expectations for the group sets communication up for success. I believe retaining top performers starts with creating a workplace where good employees have reasons to stay. I would want employees to feel valued, supported, and connected to the business’s purpose. Hiring the right people is important, but building an environment where those people want to grow with the company may be just as important.

References

Herrenkohl, E. (2012). How to hire a-players: Finding the top people for your team—Even if you don’t have a recruiting department. Wiley.

Jiang, K., Liu, D., McKay, P. F., Lee, T. W., & Mitchell, T. R. (2012). When and how is job embeddedness predictive of turnover? A meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(5), 1077–1096. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028610