We have all seen this play out, a manager is faced with a key employee contemplating leaving the company to take a similar position with a new organization for the same or less pay.

This can be a crushing blow to the team, department, and organization especially, if this key employee has the critical knowledge and skills for the success of the team.

Now the manager will be stuck, scrambling to replace the employee, on board them and find a way to transfer the knowledge that only the departed employee has.

Often this occurs because the top employees are neglected by their managers. Neglect can come in many forms, including of lack of positive and constructive feedback and not taking the time to really get to know the individual. Managers and team leaders seem to spend more time working with the low performers to help improve their productivity, but it is even more important to keep your stars shining.

Here are 8 simple tips to help retain and make your stars feel valued:

1. Provide positive feedback for jobs well done.
2. Give detailed constructive feedback to improve their work.
3. Offer continuing education classes to enhance their skills.
4. Allow them to mentor others to enhance the effectiveness of the team.
5. Give them occasional rewards such as a dinner for them and their significant other, movie tickets, a massage (not by you of course), or even a paid day off.
6. Show interest in their professional success.
7. Show interest in their personal lives.
8. And simply say “Thank You”.

This list can go on with simple and inexpensive ways to keep your stars happy, motivated, and employed. Even though they are star team players, they can still always grow to be bigger stars.

Request for readers – Please share your ideas and suggestions in the below comment field so we can all learn from each other.