Retaining your top performers is absolutely crucial to continued business success – no ifs and buts. The manufacturing sector can often require a lot of training and hands-on experience to build top performers, which means time, commitment and, of course, resources (not to mention the emotional side of getting to know and love one of your key employees!).

Knowing how to retain top performers doesn’t come down to a few tricks or quick fixes. It’s a process which should start the day your new hire begins, and is ongoing throughout their journey to becoming a top performer.

Take a personal interest

Top performers don’t necessarily want to be seen as that and that only – they’re human too. Taking a personal interest will help drive towards their longevity within your business. Ask about their personal life (to a polite and non-intrusive degree), and do what you can within the bounds of their role and responsibility to flex their job to suit this. That could mean offering flexible shifts, giving them more access to resource thus relieving some pressure, or helping them work towards personal goals. The further you engage, the more likely they’re going to stick around.

Allow them to contribute beyond their day-to-day duties

There’s a reason they’ve become a top performer – they’re doing things well. And that means, in all likelihood, they have some ideas and information to share. By asking your top performers to contribute feedback, ideas and thoughts toward future improvement and/or change, you’re giving them the recognition they deserve alongside a path to shaping their own future and legacy within the company.

Keep their role challenging and progressive

It’s sometimes easy to fall into the “they’re really good at this task – let’s keep them doing it,” trap. But, if your top performers are doing the same thing day in, day out, they may become complacent and ultimately bored. Keep their roles fresh and challenging, offering opportunities to learn each and every day.

Invest in their professional growth

Speaking of learning, one key in how to retain top performers is to invest in their professional development. Whether it’s a vocational qualification, more traditional schooling or an online course, it’ll go a long way to letting them know you appreciate their education and career here.

Customize their benefits package

One-size-fits-all is a thing of the past. Your competition might be able to offer these individuals a similar salary and the same great career prospects, so make sure your organization – who knows them well already, giving you an edge to work with – is going above and beyond to curate a benefits package which suits them and their lifestyle.

Talk about the future

By reiterating that you see a future with them in it (and one that they have the opportunity to shape with their own hands), you’ll stave off those wandering eyes. Talk about the future regularly; ask where they see themselves, what they’d like to achieve. Be transparent with top performers about business goals, large and small, all the while reassuring them that they feature front and centre. Talking about the future and their place in it will naturally see it become more of a reality.

How to retain top performers

Retaining top performers is one thing – finding then hiring them, an entirely different ball game. Engaging with a manufacturing staffing and recruiting specialist like NLG, one with experience at all levels of the manufacturing sector and its many offshoots and intricacies, is going to bring you that much closer to sourcing your next generation of top performers.

To learn more about what we do, visit our website or drop President and CEO Andrew Lavoie a direct message on LinkedIn.