Do you know what motivates your most valuedemployees and keeps them from leaving? Better find out. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Employers have good reason to worry about increased turnover of their top talent, as manyprofessionals say they have a short-timer mentality, according totwo Robert Half surveys.

The staffing firm polled 2,800 senior managers at companies with20 or more employees and found that 81 percent are concerned abouttheir company’s ability to retain valued employees.

That jibes with the results of a separate Robert Half survey ofmore than 2,800 professional workers, which found that nearly half(43 percent) plan to look for a new job in the next 12 months.

The one thing that would convince the professionals to stay attheir current job? More money is the top answer (43 percent),followed by more time off/benefits (20 percent); a promotion (19percent) and a new boss (8 percent).

Ten percent say nothing would convince them to stay.

“In a tight employment market, workers have more options, andthe grass may look greener somewhere else,” says PaulMcDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. “Employers canhelp prevent turnover by learning what motivates their most valuedemployees and customizing their retention strategies. While moneyis an important motivator, benefits or growth opportunities arealso strong enticements.”

What are employers doing to try to retain professionalworkers?

They are increasing their communication with employees,including in town hall meetings and on employee engagement surveys,the most cited method (46 percent) of the senior managerspolled.

They were encouraged to give multiple responses, and otherretention methods they use include these:

• improving employee recognition programs (41 percent)
• providing professional development (41 percent)
• enhancing compensation and benefits (40 percent)
• providing reimbursement for ongoing education (33 percent)
• facilitating mentorship programs (26 percent)
• working with interim staff to prevent full-time employees frombecoming burned out (24 percent)

Seven percent of senior managers say their company doesn’t havea retention strategy.

Additional findings of the surveys include:

– Cities with the highest percentages of workers planning tolook for a new job include Sacramento, Miami, Austin andDenver.

– Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Boston andIndianapolis and Pittsburgh have thefewest workers looking to make a move.

– Portland,Charlotte, Indianapolis and Philadelphia havethe most professionals who would stay in their current roles ifthey earned more money.

– LosAngeles, Miami and Tampa havethe highest percentages of workers who would be convinced to stayat their job if they received a promotion.

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