How to retain your best employees

The rules of employee retention have changed. No longer can you be bought with big salaries, hefty bonuses, and rich benefits packages. Today it takes intangible, non-monetary rewards to create an atmosphere that makes your people feel valued, respected, and involved. It takes a whole new way of thinking. This is the seventeenth edition of a 20-week special on ideas you could implement to keep those best employees:

17) Place an Ad
Public recognition is one of the highest forms of praise you can offer. For example, if you're looking for a unique way to say "Job well done!" take out an ad in the local newspaper to sing the praises of your employees. Be sure to mention them by name, and state specifically what they've done to be entitled to the recognition. You can rest assured that employees will clip the ad and post it on bulletin boards and refrigerator doors for months to come. In addition, you'll generate some positive publicity for your organization.

You may find other ways to spread praise. Some organizations, for example, display photographs of top employees or work teams in a public area for everyone to see. Another idea is to proclaim "Jill Smith Day" or "Team Alpha Day" across your organization.

Of course, some employees may feel embarrassed by public praise. A handwritten note expressing your appreciation for their efforts can be a powerful reinforcement. You can take one further step by sending thank-you notes to employees' spouses, or parents. This makes the employee feel doubly good, and also helps spread the word that your organization is a place where effort is appreciated and rewarded.

Send a comment back and let me know what ideas your organization has come up with to celebrate great employee achievements--