Pulse March / April 2017 | Page 19

Energy in the Workplace is Key to Staff Retention

A STUDY CONDUCTED BY academics at the Grenoble École de Management in France and the University of Surrey in the U . K . shows that people who energize their work colleagues are less likely to voluntarily leave a job . In addition , the study also found that poor performance and lack of fit are not the only reasons why an employee may get fired at work . Employees who dampen the energy of those around them are also likely to get the pink slip .
The in-depth study was performed with IT workers over a four-year period , and concludes that people who have “ energetic activations ” with fellow employees stay on the job longer than their low-energy counterparts . However , employees with both high levels of energy and performance are more likely to leave an organization voluntarily . This is most likely due to having better alternatives elsewhere .
“ When someone leaves a job , it is rarely a total surprise — usually colleagues and bosses are aware that the person is growing more distant ,” says Alexandra Gerbasi , director of Surrey Business School ’ s Centre for Leadership & Decision Making . “ What this research shows is that having a low level of energizing interactions , which causes an individual to feel isolated in their job , is often a major factor behind their decision to leave .”
So , what does this mean for your company ? Retaining staff is a key area of focus for many because turnover can cost big in terms of recruitment fees and training . It is estimated that replacing a high-level executive can cost a company up to 4.5 times his or her salary . That ’ s enough to make any company work hard to retain their best and brightest talents .
According to researchers , there are several strategies managers may implement to retain staff , such as including enthusiasm and energy as dimensions in rating schemes during the hiring process and performance evaluations , and focusing on increasing energy in leadership training .
What strategies are you implementing to retain your best employees ? Do you notice a dip of energy levels among your spa staff ? If so , what are your strategies to turn the culture around ? n
March / April 2017 ■ PULSE 17