Retaining staff is easier than you think
By Nate Beers
What if I told you that retaining your staff is easier than you think? Would you believe me? One of the simplest tactics:
Fix the Unnecessary Casualties
What are the biggest complaints of your employees? If you walk into your sites and ask, “What’s the most frustrating part of working here?” I guarantee you’ll find patterns in the responses. And these stupid frustrations lead staff lead directly to turnover.
Case Study
For one organization I worked with, a major frustration was the lack of clear consequences for call-offs. Some employees routinely called off every payday with little to no consequences, while others felt like they had to carry the extra burden. The result? Resentment, frustration, and burnout—all factors that drive turnover.
Sound Familiar?
If this sounds familiar and you want to improve retention, clarify your call-off policy and enforce it consistently. But don't stop there—find ways to reward reliability. If HR has concerns about penalizing sick time, explore other options:
Provide informal incentives like an unexpected pizza day for teams that show up consistently.
Offer extra support on high-call-off days to relieve stress on the remaining staff.
Praise employees who show up consistently and let them know their reliability is noticed and appreciated.
Develop a better coverage system to prevent excessive workload on short-staffed days.
Have open conversations with employees about the impact of frequent call-offs. Offer resources to those struggling with childcare, transportation, or other personal challenges.
The Bottom Line
Address the unnecessary frustrations that push good employees away. If policies aren’t working as intended, FIX them. If the issue is beyond your control, acknowledge the struggle and find ways to counteract the frustration. Create a sense of shared experience—a "we're in this together" mentality that builds camaraderie.
Ask Your DSPs for Solutions
Want to know the best way to fix workplace frustrations? Ask the people who experience them daily. Your frontline employees often have the best insights on what needs to change and how to improve operations.
By listening to their feedback and taking meaningful action, you’ll not only improve retention—you’ll create a workplace culture where employees feel heard, valued, and motivated to stay.
Next Steps:
Conduct an anonymous survey asking staff about their biggest workplace frustrations.
Hold a roundtable discussion with frontline workers to brainstorm solutions. (One agency in Cleveland took this to another level by creating a DSP Council…)
Implement one small but impactful change based on employee feedback.
Improving retention doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by fixing what’s broken, rewarding reliability, and truly listening to your employees. The results will speak for themselves!
