What can companies do to retain talent?

One of my colleagues at work quit after her supervisor left the company because he worked closely with his juniors as well as creating an enabling working environment for them to excel. How can a company retain talent?

Many workers always find it challenging to fit in after departure of a close associate. This is worsened when a new manager seems ‘unfriendly’ for they presume that they would be fired.
Besides, when new managers arrive, there is always a belief that the existing team is not good enough and so a need to fire them in preference for new employees.
It is not surprising, therefore, for a junior employee, who has assumed a higher office, to quickly furnish the HR with names of workers who should exit, especially those regarded as ‘complicated’ or ‘allies’ of the former boss.
But new staff might require more training and time to live up to the job and company expectations than it would have been the case if existing employees were to be trained to handle similar assignments.
This is where succession planning, a crucial element of talent management, becomes apparent. Succession planning help companies to identify and train internal employees as potential candidates for future roles within the company. Employee exits are almost a daily occurrence in many companies today, which necessitates adequate planning for smooth business continuity.
For effective results, however, succession planning should be performed at all levels instead of concentrating on only senior management positions. One of the benefits of planning succession is it creates a positive atmosphere at the workplace and enables employees to feel satisfied in terms of career progress and motivation.

Isaiah Kitimbo
HR Specialist & Journalist
Monitor Publications Limited
[email protected]