Your High-Flyers May Be Ready to Start Flapping their Wings

A recent study of 1,000 young employees from 73 nations found that companies may not be delivering on the things that matter most to these folks.

In fact, 40% of the respondents said they’ll leave their company with two years; 7% plan on staying five years or more; and 73% have recently been approached about another job offer.

These employees may not have the same needs as you think, so you’ll have to ask them what motivates them to stick around. But some general suggestions follow:

• Offer international assignments. Most employees are willing to work abroad, and the more they do it, the more they like it.
• Offer good information on internal job openings—they may not realize they have a promising future in house.
• Help them with career planning and personal development. They’ll want to know what skills they need, and how to acquire them.
• Make short-term partnerships with non-core employees or contractors, and longer-term growth arrangements with a core group of key workers.

Finally, remember the old paradox: The more you do to make people more employable, the more they’ll want to stay working for you.

Source: Whiteway Research International, England, 1999.