When you put in time and efforts to hire the best employees, you need to retain that talent. In order to achieve the same manner good retention should start from the time you hire employees to the time they leave your company. Some of the most successful organisations are those that recognize that their employees are their valuable assets, and treat them as such. The relation between the employee and the organization should be symbiotic! To understand how to retain good employees, you first need to know what they are looking for. So here are 6 basic things one should do to retain top talent

• Career development opportunities and a chance to grow in their relevant field
  Each employee should have a career plan that has been discussed with their manager, which should take place during the performance review process. Career development is the most impactful way of increasing employee engagement, and recognition. If people’s desires to make advancement in their own career is not fulfilled, they will begin looking for work opportunities elsewhere. Managers should encourage their employees to take full advantage of any educational opportunities their organization offers, which allows employees to stay up to date in their field.
• Regular feedback on how both they and the company are doing.Feedback is the core of professional and personal growth. Feedback can help both the company and an employee get better at what they do. Researcher from Zenger, a leadership development consultancy found that people want what they call corrective feedback, which define as suggestions for improvement. You must be familiar with 360 degree feedback, which works by giving feedback anonymously on what your strengths and weaknesses are.
• Create a positive organisational culture
  When you build a positive environment around such as honesty, excellence, teamwork and innovation, leads to increased productivity and overall ability to keep skilled workers. Interaction and communication will keep the bond strong. Sharing the big picture with them will allow them to feel more involved. It’s rightly said “when your employees look forward to going to work every day and find meaning in the work they do, they will share that with their friends and peers and in turn could provide you with future candidates”.
• Empower your employees
  When employees have a voice in the company and the freedom to carry out duties without being micromanaged, they will definitely achieve a sense of pride in their work. Employees assume more responsibility within the organization.
• Flexible work schedules that recognize their need for work
  A big numbered salary isn’t always the top priority for employees but job satisfaction plays a major role. Capability to offer people attractive benefits can make the difference between a satisfied employee and one who may be reconsidering their prospects.
• Recognition and Rewards
  Employees who provide outstanding or innovative customer service should receive special awards. One way is for employees to be nominated by customers or their peers. Employers should have benefits such as:

• – Day off with pay
• – Tickets to sports, music or cultural events
• – A donation in an employee’s name to the charity of his or her choice