Though many believed in the promise of 2022 and hoped for the return to pre-pandemic normalcy, 3 months into the year we now know that simply isn’t the case. The New Year brought with it new variants of the coronavirus but the same challenges business owners have been grappling with over the past 24 months: should work be remote, in-person, or hybrid; when should masks be enforced; should vaccinations be required; and should COVID paid time off be available. These are just some of the many concerns business owners have had to be cognizant of during these economically and emotionally trying times.

In addition to the ever-changing landscape of the covid world, employees are leaving their jobs at record rates and no longer standing for subpar conditions. To help combat this, employers would do well to prioritize building an employee-retention strategy in this time of high turnover.

After witnessing many friends and family fall ill and some pass away and having the comfort of normalcy stripped away and replaced by the realization of the fragility of life as we know it, an overwhelming majority of our society has adopted the “you only live once mentality”. More people want to enjoy what they do and have the flexibility to balance their personal lives. Free breakfasts and lunches are no longer the hottest perks in the market. It is now flexibility, work-from-anywhere, and asynchronous work hours that enable people to work to live rather than live to work that are the most valued offerings.

A key ingredient in the secret sauce of retention is one that is often overlooked but is incredibly important: group cohesion. Having a flexible work setup makes it so that your employees won’t rush out the door. However, creating solidarity and a team that people feel they can trust and rely on will make it difficult for them to consider leaving in the first place.

Group cohesion is an age-old psychological phenomenon. Creating a sense of pride in what your employees do and a liking towards the group will create a closer-knit workplace. Employees need to feel valued, seen, appreciated, and regarded as more than just people who crank out the day’s work and go home. Celebrate your teammate’s achievements – even the little ones – and show you care about their personal lives and their well-being.

Allow time for socialization to create bonding between teammates, but don’t force it. Understanding each person’s preferences and strengths is crucial. Since each person is different, having different ways to socialize can be helpful. For example, some like competition, so a competitive game can be fun for them. Others may not like talking much, so a quiet but collaborative game – such as a group puzzle – might be more enjoyable for them. In understanding each person’s personal preferences, you can set each person up for success and satisfaction.

When management puts thought into how to take a unique approach to make a team feel at home and cared for when at work, the magic happens. Introducing Simpli5 to the team will create a stronger sense of solidarity and understanding between teammates because it provides individual reports of each person on the team. This allows teammates to know how others like to work and communicate, which is often in a different style than their own. This would reduce misunderstandings and friction. Simpli5 will also help managers understand what each person finds rewarding. This will help keep employee satisfaction high and make rewards for jobs well done much more rewarding!