If employees don't feel they have made a connection with your organisation, it is much easier to make the decision to physically leave or to emotionally tune out and become disengaged.
Attachment is the term used to describe employees who feel a sense of belonging to their organisation and are therefore less likely to leave if the going gets tough or another offer comes along.
When an employee lacks attachment it often means they have not made a connection with any of the people they deal with in their role. It could be their manager, colleagues, a mentor, customers or even suppliers. Sometimes all it takes is one good connection to keep them going through the tough times.
Have you ever:
- Stayed in a job longer than you might have because of the relationships you formed?
- Maintained contact with former work colleagues long after you moved onto new roles?
- Looked back fondly on a past workplace experience and realised that it was the people, not the tasks, that made it so memorable?
- Followed a manager or a colleague when they left to join a new organisation?
Managers used to believe that keeping good people was all about the golden handcuffs, making people stay by offering financial incentives such as paying for higher education or share options, but only if they stayed a certain amount of time. Another tactic still used in some industries involves getting people to sign employment contracts with no competition clauses that make them agree to not join certain organisations when they leave the current employer.
These strategies don't work anymore. People now have more options and different motivators. We don't just want a job, we want a rewarding experience. An engaged employee is someone who chooses to work for you because they get personal satisfaction from their work. They are not someone who has no choice either because of their personal circumstances or rules you have imposed upon them.
The rise in organisations getting involved in what is called Corporate Social Responsibility' (CSR) activities is one way of creating attachment. CSR started out as a way for organisations to minimise their impact on the environment but has now morphed into a way for employees to contribute to community-based activities that give them a feeling of personal satisfaction.
CSR practices typically include special leave provisions for people who volunteer, providing pro-bono work and workplace giving programs. When an employee becomes involved in these types of activities, they create an attachment to not only the organisation but also to the people they are helping.