“Instead of saving for someone else’s college education, I’m currently saving for a luxury retirement community replete with golf carts and good looking young nurses who love butterscotch.” Jen Kirkman
As I dream of retirement, I dream with more than a little hope and confidence that standing beside me, trying on our new gold, holographic watches, will be my longtime Tideworks colleagues.
I’m not an HR professional, but I’ve seen a lot of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to employee retention. Let’s acknowledge first that we make a fair wage, do important work and share good benefits. Beyond those core attributes, I feel confident I can share with you five solid reasons my long time, Tideworks co-workers, and I will retire here together. Of course, there are more than five reasons, but that number felt right for this medium. You want more? Get in touch with suggestions and we’ll make our work lives even better. You’re busy and want less? Stop reading after four. You’ve got things to do. We understand.
1. We Like Each Other
These aren’t just work relationships; this is personal. When I smile at a coworker I’m not just smiling ‘cause something went well, I’m smiling at the gift of friendship each person has given me while we’ve been on our Tideworks journey. The friendship is genuine and very real. When we have trouble finding the motivation to even begin something incredibly complex for an internal or external customer, I know I can count on the support and drive to do whatever needs to be done for my friends. We’re willing to make real friendships here at Tideworks. Knowing and genuinely liking each other matters.
2. We Really Know Each Other
When someone new joins our ranks, we get to know them and all they care about. This is their work life. We get to know why they’re working. It’s amazing how knowing a colleague’s hobbies, spouse, kids, even parents and friends can strengthen even a casual work bond. When my coworkers know me, my ups, downs and the time my twins took black permanent markers to the white Eurovan, they know my ever-evolving story, and we begin to see how even at work, we can influence each other’s narrative.
3. Your Success is My Success
It’s difficult to describe the pride I feel when a colleague knocks a presentation out of the park or solves a nagging problem that enhances a product’s overall performance. We’re all working toward the same results. When you shrug off jealousy and fear of how your own value is perceived, you are open to doing everything you can to make you and your colleagues better. That’s good for business and your heart.
4. Share Lessons from Your Success and Failures
No matter your achievement, be free and praiseworthy with your thanks. Make sure the colleagues who help build the scaffolding of your success know the overall value and importance of an effort so they can join in celebrating its success.
After events large and small, seek out those who made the effort possible. No matter the outcome, show your appreciation with your thanks. When it’s cause for celebration, hold that moment of joy together. Tuck it in your pocket for when times at work are tough. When an event didn’t go as planned, share your disappointment and quickly follow with how you’ll both work together to make it better next time.
5. Acknowledge the Recruiting Elephant
Got a longtime colleague who’s hit a rough patch, like maybe the opportunity to make more out of her career has passed her by? Encourage her to spruce up her resume. Help her reignite her LinkedIn profile. Review the results and watch her face light up in affirmation as you both acknowledge her achievements. Heck, it’s easy to feel isolated in a company after a long, tenured engagement. Help your long-time colleagues feel reengaged. We all benefit when experienced colleagues once again feel empowered to make an impact today and directly influence tomorrow’s strategies.
My colleagues at Tideworks have become my brothers and sisters. I challenge any big league recruiters to try and top that. You can woo them all you want with your subsidized lunches and on premise dry cleaning, but just like Keith and Robert, I’m going to retire with these guys and a pocket full of butterscotch.
Want more details including easy to implement tips you can try at work? Check out the full length post here.