HR does not live by recruitment alone! After recruitment comes another challenge (maybe even bigger than the first one) – retention. The challenge of every HR department and every manager. The general struggle for talent, the lowest unemployment rate in 26 years, thousands of job offers on job boards, the influx of cheaper workers from across the eastern border, the impatient generation of X and Y – all this further complicates the difficult situation of many companies.

The 4P method, i.e. four ways to retain an employee:

• Let you grow

For many employees, development prospects and a sense of being appreciated are important. If this is missing, they often decide to leave.  They are looking for employers who will enable them to develop in real terms, ensure participation in interesting projects, a variety of tasks, set ambitious goals, allow them to learn new things. Individualization of the development path is a trend that appeared about 2 years ago and is gaining more and more strength. In the process of deciding on the direction of an employee’s development, roles change significantly.

• Let the employee decide

The manager changes from a decision-maker into a person enabling or financing the implementation of development plans.  By allowing the employee to make an informed decision, you will show that you believe and trust in his competence, that you also want him to be better at what he does.

This is one of the most effective solutions allowing for the competence development of both the employee and the company. Effectively builds a high level of commitment and motivation of employees.  How do you know what interests him and in what direction he wants to develop?

• Ask

To know in which direction your employee wants to develop, ask him wise questions and actively listen. Ask what will make him stay with the employer for longer. Do not assume, be open, try to understand, create conditions for development. Questions to ask:

• How do you want to contribute to the development of the company?

In this way, you will motivate the employee to look for a path for himself that I really want to follow, and not which was imposed on him. The question formulated in this way additionally imposes a filter of the organization in which we work. The path of development chosen by the employee must coincide with the direction of development of the company.

• How can I help you in your development?

Let the employee feel that he can always count on your support and that you also care about his development. Create such conditions for him to develop.

• Resolve and Praise Progress

Decide what development path will bring the greatest benefits to both parties, how you want to implement it, agree on when the changes are to take place, what effect you expect, and then you will know that it has been successful. Check the result after a month or two, make sure that the employee goes the way you agreed. Appreciate what he has already achieved. Ask if there is anything else you can help him with.

The 4P method is effective because it is based on a conversation between the manager and the employee. It is a jointly developed plan that is to bring benefits to both parties. Just looking for the right way of development, deciding which will be the right one and how you can overcome this path to reach the goal, is an extremely interesting experience to which it is worth inviting your employees. They will certainly repay you with loyalty and commitment.

Source: https://hcmdeck.com/blog/metoda-4p-czyli-4-sposoby-na-zatrzymanie-pracownika/

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.