Want to Retain Top Talent? Help Them Keep Their Resolutions

The good news? Employee confidence continues to be on the rise. The bad news? More workers may try to leave their current jobs this year – potentially leaving employers in the lurch.

A new Glassdoor survey of employee resolutions finds that over one in five workers want to search for a new job in 2014.

“If economic and business news continues to show signs of furthering stability, we will undoubtedly begin to see greater employee confidence, which will in turn catalyze more movement within the employment pool,” said Glassdoor career and workplace expert Rusty Rueff.

But employers looking to retain top staffers needn’t be hopeless. Rueff says helping to fulfill workers’ other top resolutions is a great way to make sure your employees stay put.

“You need to be proactive, not reactive,” says Rueff. “You have to listen to these resolutions that employees are saying are most important to them, and be ready for those things.”

Here are the top resolutions business owner should be aware of:

No. 1: Receive a raise.

While raises may not be financially feasible in all cases, making more money is at the top of the list when it comes to employee resolutions. With one in three workers resolving to earn more money in 2014, business owners may want to consider giving raises or bonuses to top performers – especially if the business is doing well.

No. 2: Take vacation time.

During the recession and the recovery, Rueff says many employees were nervous about taking time off – even when they technically had the days available.

“They were almost afraid to leave the office, because they were worried managers would think they didn’t provide enough value,” says Rueff. Now, 20% of workers say they want to use all their vacation days this year. If business owners want to keep their staff happy, they’ll want to encourage their employees to take time off and relax – rather than make them feel guilty about it.

No. 3: Develop new skills.

Twenty percent of employees say they want to develop more leadership skills in 2014, and 19% want to attend work-related training – up three points from last year. These are two areas that business owners would be well-advised to take advantage of, since better leadership and higher training can improve the business as a whole.

However, Rueff says it’s imperative that business owners and employees get on the same page when it comes to opportunities for advancement.

“Lack of consistent thinking will open the door for employees to look across and say the grass is definitely greener on the other side,” says Rueff.

The Glassdoor Q4 2013 Employment Confidence Survey was conducted by Harris Interactive from December 6 – 10, 2013. More than two thousand adults ages 18 and older participated in the survey.