Contents
How to be a good boss and retain talent so it doesn’t leave
Personal growth
Good communication and positive reinforcement are key to being a good leader and motivating and caring for employees
What is being a good boss? Although this question has many, many answers, if you ask the experts they usually agree on common points. For example, Ignacio Hernandez, director of Robert Walters, a management search and selection consultancy, comments that, in his opinion, a good boss should be admired, should be someone who leads by example and always maintain a two-way relationship with his team . In this way, you will be able to demand a good performance while listening to the needs that are transmitted to you. «It is very important to have the ability to adapt. Each employee has their own needs and setting the same style for all does not usually bear the expected fruit. Some flexibility is necessary and adapting the demands of each employee to their qualities ”, adds the expert.
Another question that usually arises is whether being a good leader is something innate, or something that can be worked on. Ignacio Hernández comments that both statements are true. «Leadership is usually an innate quality, but not necessarily someone with that quality takes the right advantage, “he explains. He says that the innate leader will be admired for his intrinsic way of being, but if he does not conduct his qualities well, he can also fail. “However, training as a leader can lead to exemplary team management. There are many qualities that can be worked on and that can lead you to be an admired leader ”, he also assures.
How to take care of the relationship with the workers
The key to a good boss is, of course, the relationship with his workers. For them, qualities such as listening ability, or understanding what things can be done to improve the day-to-day of employees is essential. “Today, the retention of talent is the great headache of companies, and a lot of work must be done in order to create a pleasant work environment”, says the director of Robert Walters. Also, talk about the importance of listening to particular needs of each employee and work to improve those points that they perceive as improvable. “This, without a doubt, would allow us to achieve that feeling of comfort that everyone looks for in their work, but it usually collides with the requirement,” he says.
How to keep and retain talent
Cecilia Mansilla, a leadership expert and instructor at Udemy, provides seven essential keys for companies to attract and retain young talent:
1. Flexibility in working hours. That is to say, the employee is not tied to a fixed schedule, but, as far as possible, he is allowed to adapt his working day according to his own needs, thus giving him the possibility of reconciling his family life with his work life.
2. Remote work or, at least, hybrid. The fact of not investing time in commuting means, for many, a plus when facing the work day.
3. Opportunities for growth and development. “Providing learning opportunities and organizational growth will differentiate the work proposals, and these are the ones that will be prioritized,” says Cecilia Mansilla.
4. Competitive, fair and equitable salary for the position. Life is not just about work. This is why it is necessary for work not only to cover basic needs, but also to travel, rest, have fun and socialize, ”says the professional.
5. Organizational culture that is committed to diversity and inclusion. Tolerance, inclusion and diversity must be part of the foundations of those companies where you want to work.
6. Personalized and updated learning plans. “People leave companies if they don’t have the chance to learn new things. Learning new functions and skills motivates talent, opens up new possibilities, creates new challenges and clearly this increases retention, ”explains Cecilia Mansilla.
7. Opportunities for networking and strengthening contacts. Very important for those seeking progress in their professional and personal career.
At this point, he makes it absolutely necessary for teams to perform: «You have to work the subtlety. Demand while we ask ‘How can I help you?’, And always transmit messages of encouragement and reinforcement to employees, rewarding their effort and always commenting that we are on the right track, so that we improve the feeling of security ».
On the other hand, one of the most difficult tasks of a boss is knowing how to maintain a close relationship with his employees while his figure must continue to be perceived as that of the boss. «We must be close so that a climate of trust is generated that allows us to understand each situation well, but at the same time sufficiently distant so as not to become overconfident ”, he assures and adds that the boss must be perceived as such to avoid personal interference in the workplace.
Finally, the expert leaves a final advice: share with employees both the improvement points detected in them and those that they can detect in us. «Training is essential for improvementr in all those points in which our leadership can be improved, and work on listening and adaptability as pillars for a good understanding of our employees ”, he concludes.