How to Identify and Retain Top Talent in the Workplace
A successful workplace is no different than a piece of state-of-the-art equipment: it’s a well-oiled machine that operates only on the basis that each and every part is working at its best. And for businesses and organizations, those working parts are the top performers, the best-of-the-best, the “Piéce de résistance,” if you will.
But unlike machine parts, top performers need to be celebrated and acknowledged for their contributions within a company. Retaining top performers is key to sustaining a successful workplace and developing new, fresh ideas for the future. So, what are the best ways to retain these employees?
Well, as the corporate celebration specialists, we’ve got you covered. In this blog, we’ll be discussing all things top performers and retaining top talent, including the different types and the best retention strategies!
What is Talent in the Workplace?
Let’s start off by defining talent in the workplace. While this can be subjective and will often depend on the type of workplace, however, a talented employee is often one that goes above and beyond, both in their own work and for their fellow co-workers and leadership.
A talented employee will have the necessary skillset required to get the job done right, but they’ll also have a key drive and passion for their work that separates them from the average employee. Whether it’s in a corporate work environment, retail, hospitality, or education, having a talented employee that helps motivate others and develop new ideas is a vital part of creating a healthy, successful business.
What are the Different Types of Top Performers
Now, talent can take on multiple roles in the workplace and can often be found in different types of employees. It’s important to distinguish between these types of top performers in order to identify their value and reward them properly based on their accomplishments.
Here are three examples of our favorite types of top performers.
The Curious Employee
The curious employee is most often a newer employee that consistently shows a great deal of passion and enthusiasm for their career. They’ll take interest in projects, ask for further education or trainings, and ask questions about the company or the work in order to better understand the material.
The Go-To Person in the Office
The go-to person in the office is the employee or coworker that everyone can depend on. They are usually very timely with their work, rarely miss a deadline, are in constant communication with their coworkers or managers, and can easily self-motivate.
The One Who Gets Out of the Comfort Zone
Finally, the most underrated top performer is the one who gets out of the comfort zone. This type of employee or coworker is often the one with the new and bright ideas. They’re incredibly curious about their position and are consistently trying to elevate the company with modern, up-to-date suggestions.
Managing High Performers: Best Strategies to Retain Them
Now, that we understand what a top performer is, let’s take a look at how to manage them. Top performers typically aren’t content with the standard appreciation techniques – and this is okay! We’ll help you get creative with these four new ideas for retaining the top talent at your workplace.
Give Them Leadership Roles
The first (and best way) to retain top talent is to elevate their position with a leadership role. Top performers often take on managerial tasks anyways, so giving them the title is a perfect way to let them know you see them and you appreciate their dedication to the job.
Promote Growth from a Technical and Personal Perspective
Directly behind a leadership promotion is a technical and personal growth promotion. While this may not be a career promotion, this can be the first stepping stone, with newer and more challenging responsibilities. This can look like giving them larger projects or having them meet in-person with clients.
Support Their Mental Health and Wellbeing
Supporting top talent goes beyond career elevation. In order to support top talent, mental health and wellbeing need to be a strong factor. To learn the best ways for supporting mental health and wellbeing, check out our blog on how to build a safe and healthy environment for employees.
Conduct Regular Performance Reviews
It’s important for top performers to see how they’re performing, as well as how they can improve. The best way to do this? With regular performance reviews! This is an incredibly successful method that is a visual representation of their successes and can be done as frequently as quarterly or annually, depending on preference and team sizes.
Top 3 Best Retention Strategies for Top Talent
As we mentioned previously, top talent employees are the essential moving parts of the equipment, ensuring its operating at peak performance. So, in order to keep these employees (that’s the main goal; we don’t want to lose top talent), let’s take a look at three different retention strategies to ensure their happiness with the company!
Read the Signs: Are they Quiet Quitting?
In an effort to retain these employees, it’s important that they aren’t looking elsewhere for new positions. Recognizing the signs of “quiet quitting” or lack of interest in their career, is the first step in developing new methods for retaining talent. If you notice your employees begin to withdraw, set up a meeting with them to discuss how you can help them succeed in their position.
Keep the Employees that Drive Progress
This one might seem a bit obvious, but hear us out! It’s easy to overlook top performers based on factors like higher PTO requests, higher salary ranges, or more accommodations, however, these top performers are not a dime-a-dozen. Keeping employees that drive progress is key in the sustainability and growth of a company, pushing it forward into newer, better heights.
Continuously Show Recognition
Finally, it’s important to show recognition frequently. While this can be done numerous ways, our personal favorite is through corporate gift giving! At Choose-Your-Gift, we have over 40,000 brand name gift options and 20 different gift levels that can be personalized to match a variety of employee preferences!
Retain Your Top Performers with Corporate Gifts from Choose-Your-Gift
If you’re ready to celebrate your top performers with a gift they’ll remember for a lifetime, then it’s time to partner with Choose-Your-Gift! As the corporate gift experts, we specialize in gift giving and are here to work directly with you to find the gift you’re looking for.
Our team of corporate gift specialists can help you with not only finding a gift, but choosing a distribution method, a plan, and how to manage your account with ease. For more information on top performers or to speak to one of our customer service team members, please contact us today!