Don’t Quit and Stay: Train Your Team in Spite of Turnover
![einstein_quit_and_stay[20]](http://www.slackermanager.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/einstein-quit-and-stay20.jpg "einstein_quit_and_stay[20]")
After 4 and a half years of nearly zero turnover on the team I manage, only 4 associates out of the 7 I started the year with are still working for me, with 1 leaving in 6 weeks and 1 splitting her time between my team and another team. Some managers I’ve talked to who also manage level 1 (some might call them entry level) associates told me I shouldn’t waste my time training my team, because the turnover I experienced this year is far more normal than the previous 4.5 years of stability.
I don’t care! I’m going to train them anyway, whether they turn over each year or not. As I see it, I have four options.
- Train them and they leave – If I train someone and they leave, at least I’ve gotten some production out of them when they were at their best and when they had learned what they need to know about their position.
- Train them and they stay – I call this the perfect situation, with someone who has learned the job and does it well, and sticks around to get promoted on my team, or to continue to challenge themselves by learning new things and sharing their knowledge with others.
- Don’t train them and they leave – This is a tough one for me. If folks leave and they didn’t get training, why did they leave? Was it because they didn’t get training, or because they found something better somewhere else? Folks typically aren’t 100% honest on their exit interview, so this is the worst of all worlds, because the potential might have been there for a #2, where they might have stuck around.
- Don’t train them and they stay – If #2 is the perfect situation, this is the WORST of all worlds. Someone you don’t train and that sticks around anyway is someone I don’t want on my team. These are the folks I call the “quit and stay” folks: They don’t really care what their job entails, and they don’t really want to learn it. They are just happy to have a job, and as long as you don’t challenge them too much, they’ll keep coming to work.
As I see it, I’ve got no choice but to train my folks and hope that they stick around long enough for me to get some amount of highly productive time for them.
What do you think?
What options do you have for training your folks?
What do you do for training as a manager if you’ve got high turnover?
Create your own Einstein photos at heteheel.com
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Phil Gerbyshak, management
3 opinions for Don’t Quit and Stay: Train Your Team in Spite of Turnover
Vince DeGeorge
Jun 18, 2008 at 6:35 am
You MUST work towards 2., but plan on 1. always being a possibility. Number 3. & 4. should never be an option as a good manager.
One thing to help mitigate the problem is have a solid training program and never put your “eggs in one basket.” You want a structured training program with a quick turnaround time to have people in the slot and productive as quickly as possibly, so if they do leave, the time it takes to train their replacement is minimal. If there are several different jobs being performed, be sure to cross-train. While someone does not need to be an expert in the other position, you want the job to be performed while you can concentrate on filling the position and training. If not, you may be tempted to put someone in a position they’re not ready for just to get the job done (hoping that option 4. happens).
Cross-training is an easy sell. Not only are you fulfilling your own needs, but you are actively “developing” the staff around you - making them a more well-rounded individual.
I manage high volume turnover myself, and this is never an easy process, but part of being a good manager is actively “managing” turnover, recognizing it as a part of employing individuals.
Brent
Jun 18, 2008 at 9:09 am
You have to do what’s in the best interests of your employees. That may sound a bit fluffy, hippy but, not so ironically, that’s also in your best interest as well as the company’s.
You want people who are engaged, passionate and give a damn. And you only get that when you hold their psychic needs (to learn, grow and be a valuable contributor) in high esteem. If you’re helping them meet their individual goals - those at the top of Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs - then they will go to bat for you and help ensure your success.
Don’t you think there’s a reason the other Level 1 managers believe that “these people” aren’t worth training? There’s a self-fulfilling cycle that starts with them not caring about their employees and/or viewing them solely as cogs in the machine.
Selflessly helping others is the most selfish thing you can do. But it’s a win-win-win.
The Office Newb
Jun 26, 2008 at 9:49 am
I think there is a #5 scenario out there: Train them and they stay, but they are still terrible “quit and stay” workers. I encountered such a situation where an employee’s work was just subpar, in spite of formal training sessions, follow-up formal training, and 1-on-1 informal training.
Giving an employee the tools/skills to perform their job is one hurdle, motivating them enough to care about their work is another.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: