HOW TO RETAIN YOUR TOP TALENT: Kiss their butts. But really…

Ok, in this economy jobs can be hard to come by. So, holding onto your top talent may not be nearly as difficult as it was only a year ago. After all, finding another job is not all that easy right now, especially a good one. The golden handcuff concept is also something to consider when looking to retain top talent. Pay them so well they can’t find another job for that kind of salary. But how much fun is this for you or your employee. In the end, it just starts to feel smarmy.

Here’s what I think works (and it does contain a bit of the above)

• Let them know you care (because if you don’t, why should they care about working for you?)
• Remember, it’s not a lot of fun at the bottom, so be nice, and take some of the junior staff out for lunch every now and then (you can learn ALL kinds of things about what is really going on out there—and a lot of what you learn can help you be a better boss)
• Let your leaders lead (there is nothing as irritating as the micro managing boss- we’ve all had them. They suck)
• Give your people credit for their ideas and hard work, but don’t make everyone else feel like they’re schlumps because they haven’t had a good idea lately.
• DON’T pit people against each other. What a BAD idea.
• DO pay well if you can (everyone needs the money these days) 

And yes, DO kiss a little butt if necessary. Good people are hard to come by, even in a tough economy.