We know people want to grow. We know people want to advance—not just in their careers but in their lives.
Some call it the “lifestyle creep”. It’s when you make a little bit more money so you’re going to get Netflix and Hulu. Then you make a little bit more money and you’re getting Apple+. You want your next neighborhood to be nicer and safer. People want to advance themselves—not just financially, but also within their roles, within their expertise, the respect they earn from others, and lots of other things.
This is another area where managers can get creative. Even though a therapist is a therapist, whether he’s been there one year or 10, there are varying levels of competencies that he can grow in during his tenure. How good is that employee at troubleshooting or dealing with difficult situations? A new therapist wouldn’t be able to handle those scenarios, but somebody who has more experience can.
This means that more seasoned employees have more competency in their positions. Managers need to mentor to that. We want to look for more opportunities for employees to grow.
Talk to your people and get to know them.
- What do they want to learn?
- What do they want to know?
- Who do they want to meet?
- Do they want to expand their network or their skills or their education?
We can creatively advance employees overtime which then extends their tenure. Those employees who were planning to leave wake up six months later after you’ve invested time and energy advancing them to realize, “Wow, I was planning on leaving six months ago, but I’m still here!”
Think more creatively about what kind of stepping-stones and what kind of carrots you can provide for your folks.
Check out the infographic below for a more detailed explanation of how to advance employees when promotions aren’t available!