When you have good employees, you do not want to lose them.  Like any personal or professional relationship, you have to work on it.  You have to pay attention to their needs to keep them content and motivated.  Here are five ways to sustain and strengthen those relationships.

Say thank you.  Yes, they are paid for their work.  But complimenting someone on good work or acknowledging that they came in early and worked late on a project is more than good manners. People care that the boss notices and appreciates their efforts.  Studies have shown that recognition of an employee’s accomplishments for some people is as major a factor in job satisfaction as an appropriate salary. A thank you is nice. So is an afternoon off or even a pizza party for the team on completion of a project.

Honesty matters.  Good employees have integrity. They notice if a boss or co-worker lies to customers, overbills a client or stiffs a vendor.  They don’t want a company’s bad reputation to rub off on them.  If they see a co-worker being treated unfairly, they are smart enough to know they may be next in line for shabby treatment. Being honest in your words and actions sets the standard for everyone in the company.

Champion professional development.  Serve as a mentor by talking with an employee about your experiences and what you have learned from your failures and successes.  Develop a plan that gives employees the time and financial support to develop their technical skills, attain professional certification, attend trainings and expand their industry awareness.  Invest in an employee’s growth by sending them to conferences, leadership training and relevant courses. Guide them on the path to becoming valued professionals.  Your reward, in part, is the excellent work they will be doing for the company. In addition, their success reflects on you and makes you proud of the part you played in their achievements.

To read more of this story by Rosemary Couture, read the June 2015 edition of VBR under the “Current & Past Issues” tab on this website, or pick up a copy on news stands.