We recently surveyed some of our BV friends asking them “if you had more resources,…
By John Borrowman, CPC
Borrowman Baker, LLC, BV Staffing + Consulting
Gallatin, TN
The most common reason team members leave? They found a better growth opportunity. It doesn’t have to be that way if you work with them to find that growth opportunity where they are.
Young professionals in BV and Lit Support want to grow. Expect to grow. They’re no different from their Millennial brethren in other professions. You don’t have to lay out the path for them, but you do have to pay attention and make sure they learn how they can do it for themselves.
Are you transparent about what it takes to get ahead? Survey your people individually and privately for what they think it takes. Their answers could tell you a lot about where to start. If one or two people don’t seem to have a good answer, that’s where you focus efforts to make sure growth opportunity is clear. (If everyone seems vague, you have a different problem.)
Sometimes, the best move is asking employees where they would like to grow next. Maybe the answer will be something you never considered but which is easy to do. Maybe the answer will be a stretch for your staffer, and together you can figure out incremental steps in that direction.
Remember: You’ve known what you know for so long that you’ve forgotten what it’s like not to know it. You have the dual advantage of seeing the big picture and having the years of experience to know what it can mean for your young professionals. Sharing that with them will let them see the growth opportunity that can keep them around.
