We like “What Are Best Practices for Employee Retention and Recruitment,” a new post that Lindsay Wissman just published on the Zane Benefits blog. The practices she recommends are both common sense and very smart, which is always a winning combination.

Here are her strategies for improving employee retention.

Hire Managers with the Right Skills

Ms. Wissman points out that in many cases, companies focus first on hiring managers who will fit in with the company culture. While that’s important, she suggests that hiring managers whose skill sets align closely with their jobs is also essential, and that it can play a big role in boosting employee retention. When managers don’t have the right skills, the people who report to them become frustrated, resentful and eager to leave.

That’s common-sense thinking, but very wise.

Don’t Let Staff Recognition Become Haphazard

The author makes another good point here, which is that it is not enough to offer occasional recognition. If you don’t recognize good performers often and appropriately, they become frustrated and don’t stay with you for the long term. She recommends offering rewards that synch with what individual employees value and want – not one-size-fits-all rewards that don’t fully satisfy.

Provide a Career Path and a Growth Strategy for Each Employee

The author notes that you don’t want your employees to feel they are only completing tasks or filling roles. They should have a sense that your company offers them opportunities for career advancement. Ms. Wissman writes, “This practice will build long term loyalty to your business, which will increase your employee retention naturally.”

We would like to mention that this retention strategy is also recommended by our founder Evan Hackel. In his book Ingaging Leadership, he recommends working alongside employees to create a personal development plan for each of them.

The Right Kind of Training Plays a Critical Role Too . . .

Although Ms. Wissman doesn’t mention training in her post, it is a good place to let new employees know exactly what they need to do to grow in your company. During training, you can let them know how your company evaluates performance and promotes future leaders.