Discontent may be brewing as workers become increasingly frustrated by what they perceive as employer indifference, according to Angott Search Group, one of the Midwest’s most successful search and recruitment organizations. Good communication – the kind that keeps employees focused and committed – may be a casualty of the recession, and employers who want to keep their best people need to get back on track.

“Many companies have let communication with employees take a back seat during the tough times of the past few years,” says Mark Angott, president of Angott Search Group. “Fortunately it isn’t that difficult to communicate better, but it does require recognizing that emotion, not logic, is the driving force, and it requires starting now. If you wait until people are leaving, it’s too late.”

Angott offers practical suggestions for communicating with employees in ways that encourage retention:

• Take the opportunity to praise your employees in public. “This does not mean comparing them to others on the team, which creates resentment and embarrassment for all concerned,” warns Angott. “Talk about the importance of the effort they’ve put in, and find small ways of rewarding that effort. Honest appreciation goes a long way, especially in a time of tight budgets.”
  
• Make sure that the contributions of your employees are not just recognized, but are also important. Visible contributions that are not valued by the company are not very compelling. Likewise, contributions that someone does not perceive as important will not serve to keep them at the company.
  
• Highlight how their work fits into the long-term vision of the company. Help them see that their work matters to the team and the company. Build a sense of partnership and status.
  
• Create an environment where people can see their own competence and measure their own success toward creating something larger than themselves. “Providing opportunities for growth also helps build that feeling of competence and further increases the attractiveness of staying with the company,” says Angott. “An additional benefit is that the more competent people feel, the more secure they feel. The more secure they feel, the harder it is for the competition to pry them away.”
  

“It’s critical to make sure that you are sending the right messages to your employees,” says Angott. “They need to understand the goals of the company and how they play a role in bringing those goals to life. They need access to the information that allows them to work and grow most effectively. If your communication addresses these needs, the odds are you’ll keep your top people as the economy improves.”