As job hopping becomes popular for workers, employee retention strategies should rank high for industry leaders.
By Scott Mason
Businesses and industries across the country are facing an employee retention problem. Long gone are the days of employees spending their entire careers at the companies that offered them their first jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, people stay at a job an average of 4.1 years.
In facilities management, an industry with a clear talent and skills gap, employee retention is critical for ensuring operational efficiency, consistent service quality and long-term business success. High turnover rates can lead to disruptions in service delivery, increased recruitment and training costs and a loss of institutional knowledge. Retaining skilled employees not only fosters a stable and experienced workforce but also enhances customer satisfaction and builds a positive workplace culture.
But how should leaders and managers go about keeping their employees in the fold? Our experts shared their thoughts and experiences to provide insightful context of this issue facing the business world.
Modern Challenges
Retaining valued employees is more of a challenge than in the past, said Nora Herrera, Corporate Director of Engineering at Omni Hotels & Resorts. “The COVID-19 pandemic changed how people think and caused them to redefine their wants and needs,” Herrera said. “Retention has become a big focus for many organizations, and we have learned to be more flexible and think outside the box. How we managed in the past is not how we are managing today.”
Coupled with retention difficulties is the skills gap the industry has been facing for years. With the Baby Boomer generation on the verge of retirement, bridging the chasm between senior and junior leadership is a challenge that Herrera faces daily, along with finding quality entry-level candidates. “After COVID, you could have 40 interviews set for a position, and not a single person shows up. You can hire three people, and nobody shows up. It’s an odd shift we’ve seen throughout the country in recent years. We are just now starting to see a positive move in the right direction but there is still work to be done.”
What Employees Want
Shifts in workers’ wants and needs have also turned retention strategies on their heads. Kenny Weston, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Commercial Green Solutions, a service provider focused on facility energy efficiency, said workplace culture has become a much more prominent focus for employees. “The culture of an organization is now incredibly important for employees,” Weston said. “Specifically, people want and need flexibility in their work environment. They must be able to work, have accessibility and communicate from anywhere.”
Weston also notes that employees are making it known that they appreciate diverse and inclusive workplaces. “Having a diverse workplace exposes people to different perspectives,” he says. “It makes your business stronger and allows you to reach a broader swath of people. It's a real thing — and a huge part of retention.”
Growing From Within
Maybe the most important offering a company can provide to ensure high employee retention is the opportunity for growth and development. According to a report from Work Institute, more than 22% of people cited a lack of career growth and development opportunities as the No. 1 reason for leaving a job.
Herrera noted that Omni offers countless growth opportunities for employees, which is why retention is so high for her division. Some of those offerings include:
Manager-in-development programs to prepare employees for their next role, offering monthly calls and real-time training
Taskforce opportunities at other Omni properties to allow team members to improve their leadership skills and gain confidence interacting with other teams
Tuition reimbursement for field-related courses
Encouragement to participate in special assignment committees
1-on-1 meetings with our junior leaders when the leadership team is on property
As Herrera mentioned, the pandemic spotlighted the need to keep talented employees in the fold. “In 2021, we figured out pretty quickly that the only way we were going to get the talent that we want in our organization was to grow it from within,” she said. “So, we revamped our manager-in-development program, and we signed up around 30 junior leaders, supervisors and hourly associates for the program by the end of the year.”
The program was a rousing success — 24 team members completed the program, and five were promoted to Director roles within the organization. “People were saying, ‘Wow, there’s good trajectory here. I like this — Omni has put something real together, and I see a future for myself.”
Herrera’s experience isn’t unique — it’s clear that employees want more from their jobs than just a paycheck.
“People want to be a part of something they can relate to,” Weston said. “Folks are really starting to say, ‘OK, this is a great organization, but what value are they adding? What solutions are they providing? What does their growth strategy look like for the future? At the end of the day, is this something that I stand by?’”
As a result of this mindset, managers must adapt and offer truly enriching employment experiences to those they wish to retain — or risk a skilled worker jumping ship and being forced to start at square one, over and over again.
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