Over the past few years, the power has shifted from employers to employees. Employees are now in the driver’s seat, and it’s up to employers to come up with strategies to attract new talent, retain existing talent, and foster an environment that encourages productivity and fulfillment.

At our virtual event with Legion, Winning Over the Workforce: Attract and Retain Hourly Employees in 2022, our expert panelists shared strategies their organizations have implemented to combat the Great Resignation and create a workplace that employees are happy to be a part of.

Check out some of the most valuable takeaways from our discussion on March 8th:

1. Culture can’t be overlooked

What is employee culture, really? Stephen Childs of Panasonic Automotive recognized that while “culture” might sound like a nebulous term, creating workplace values and behaviors that comprise a fulfilling culture is paramount.

“We spent the past four or five years really completely revamping our culture model, with the sole purpose of making sure people come to work every day because they want to, not because they have to,” said Stephen, further citing that his company’s turnover rate is less than half the current industry average.

2. Culture = engagement

Anthony Ladd is at Legion today, but his prior experience at Dollar General gave him great insight into what culture looks like for hourly employees.

“Part of culture is being engaging, and if you can’t see that employee face to face on a regular basis, how do you engage with them?” he asked. In a remote, digital-first environment, it’s more important than ever to use the tools at our reach to communicate with and encourage employees to foster a connection and reduce turnover.

3. Recognize individuals, not employees

Employee recognition goes beyond a pat on the back and a “Great job!” Maigen Rowe of Allegion emphasized the importance of providing meaningful feedback to employees by telling them the impact of their actions on the organization as a whole.

“Not only saying ‘Thank you for doing x, y, and z,’ but ‘Thank you for doing x, y, and z, it really helped us move the needle on hitting our objective,” she shared as an example. The power of positive, significant feedback has really helped her team connect employees with the work they’re doing.

4. Career growth is more important than ever

The necessity for career growth opportunities can’t be overstated. Darryl Stratton of Arrow Fastener shared that his organization has lately put a large focus on providing their employees with clear career progression paths.

In addition to offering training opportunities for employees to expand their skill sets, Arrow is also offering promotion opportunities for individuals who want to move up in the company, even at the hourly level.

5. Don’t be afraid of overcommunication

“The last two years showed us how important overcommunication is,” Stephen said, citing the pandemic’s impact on how his team talks with their employees.

There’s really no such thing as “overcommunication,” especially in a remote world where employees often feel disconnected from their bosses and coworkers. Having quarterly town halls also provides a great outlet for normalizing transparent communication.

Want to learn more about reducing attrition and increasing employee satisfaction at your organization? Access the full event content by filling out the form at the top of the page.