With the skills shortage, retaining talent has been the hot topic for small business, including printers. So much has been written about it but the advice can be summed in a few simple concepts.

Paying people well is important, but money is not the key in employee retention. Significantly, a landmark study by Kenneth Kovach at George Mason University in the US  found that bosses thought employees would be motivated by good wages and job security, but employees listed factors such as participating in interesting tasks, feeling appreciated and 'being in on things'. They ranked job security and good wages as important but lower on the list.

The first step is to ensure employees have a sense of purpose. They need to feel their work is worthwhile, that they are doing something meaningful. The evidence suggests that employees who feel that way are more likely to stay. Connected to this is the importance of the print business providing them with a clear sense of direction.  Again, if they feel the company they are working for has a purpose, they are more likely to stay.

Another important part is to ensure the lines of communication are always open. People need access to information so that they can better serve customers and make decisions.

Experts say there also need to be very clear organisational values.  There needs to be congruence, or at least the absence of a conflict between the values of employees and the organisation. It is also necessary for people to believe that there is congruence between the stated and observed values of the organisation for people to clearly want to stay. As soon as they see managers saying one thing and doing another, they are more likely to leave.

Giving lots of positive feedback is also important. It makes it more attractive for people to come into work every day. Positive feedback is also important for underperformers. Equally, it’s important for those who perform well to know that there is differentiation between good and poor performance.

Companies that want to keep staff have to be constantly training and developing them. In today’s workforce, people expect that as part of their career management. It gives them the skills to progress through the organisation. Even if it equips them to take those skills elsewhere, they are more likely to stay on while they are retaining these skills.

Printers wanting to retain staff also have to keep employees challenged. They need to give employees stretch goals so that they feel they have achieved something and learned new skills.

Of course, it’s also important to pay them well. But if you can’t afford it, there are other ways to do it. Benefits like flexible work patterns and family time can be as valuable as cash. Also, don’t micromanage. If you hired them for their talents, they don’t need anyone looking over their shoulder and constraining them. You also need to make the work environment and facilities as comfortable as possible. Finally, if you can’t give them shares in the business, at least make sure there are career paths so they feel they are getting something out of it.

In other words, printers wanting to retain staff need the kind of managers who make employees feel valued and who are invested in developing their careers.

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