Arendalsuka: How to retain talent in your company?

How do you retain talent in your business?

An impressive number of people wanted to start Wednesday morning in Arendal with leadership talk, coffee and good energy. EY and FRONT Leadership arranged a breakfast meeting in a crowded room in Arendal and we look forward to a good dialog with everyone who contacted us during the mingling.

To discuss their experience with the challenge of retaining talent, Mats Kristensen(FRONT Leadership), Finn Holm (EY), Kjersti Midthun Næss (Norsk Hydro), Ørjan Bøe Thygesen (Capra Consulting), and Anders Dysvik(BI Norwegian Business School) met.

Kathleen Mathisen from Grieg Seafoods moderated the conversation and asked the panel what factors influence employees' desire to stay with the company.

Kjersti Midthun Næss emphasized the value of the closest relationships in the workplace for each individual employee. In everyday life, where you work more closely with the shift manager/team leader than the CEO, it is important that all managers in the organization understand the influence they have on their colleagues' well-being.

Ørjan Bøe Thygesen spoke about the importance of interpersonal skills. In an exemplary manner, he encouraged managers to practice their empathy skills and try to understand how different colleagues experience the world. Many employees will experience imposter syndrome or similar feelings of inadequacy. With clear efforts to create security and invite people into the community, you can create a framework for people to have the energy to develop and perform.

Anders Dysvik, Professor of Organization and Management at BI Norwegian Business School, took issue with the tendency to tabloidize the differences between the generations. Dysvik explained that employees in their twenties were not entirely different from the twenty-year-olds who entered the workforce fifteen years ago. According to Dysvik, it is a better perspective for managers to analyze employees' expectations from the workplace based on their life stage. He also encouraged managers to demystify the analysis of what motivates employees - they know this themselves and it is possible to ask them. The most important thing is that managers avoid demotivating their employees.

"Many people apply to EY because of the development opportunities they see the company offers," said Finn Holm. "Development opportunities and colleagues being seen and heard are fundamental to creating a workplace where people thrive," said Finn.

Mats didn't disagree with Finn's point about development opportunities;

- The experience of being given opportunities at work to pursue your full potential is a key factor for well-being," Mats said.

In addition, Mats explained that employee motivation increases significantly when the workplace has a clear direction and purpose.

By making managers aware of their own leadership, we can create leaders who elevate both colleagues and the company.

FRONT Leadership and EY would love to talk to you further about how we can help your leaders and retain talent in your company!