If employers could answer this question and act accordingly, retention rates would be through the proverbial roof. At Marketing Moves, we draw on our daily discussions with candidates on their reasons for leaving, to give you 2 pieces of advice each week on how to be an employer that no marketer wants to leave (or you can download the full version in PDF form below).
Nurture their ambition – or lose them
Marketers tend to be a promiscuous bunch, looking to move companies every couple of years – and often with good reason. The B2B Technology marketers we speak to everyday at Marketing Moves are ambitious and career progression is an important part of their life plans. If they don’t see room to grow where they are, you can bet they’ll start to consider other opportunities after a time.
Once they’ve achieved solid wins at one company, a high-performing and ambitious marketer will think about how they could make a difference in another B2B Technology company – perhaps a competitor. The same is true of both permanent and contract marketers, though the latter of course move that much more often.
These are the key players and ‘difference-makers’ you do not want to lose. As an employer, you need to consider an employee’s potential progression and how they will broaden their experience over time. Communicate your ambition for them clearly from day 1 – both how they will contribute to the development of the business and how they will develop within it. Discuss training and development at interview. It can make a big difference, both in attracting candidates and in retaining and motivating employees. A salary increase is a classic tool in the retention arsenal but for ambitious marketers, valuable training and experience will also be persuasive, negating the need to gain it elsewhere. Many are playing the long-game – so a salary increase may not hold them for long.
Give them space to be their whole self
It’s okay, we don’t mean in a spiritual sense. An employee’s work can be enriched by their side projects and interests outside of work (here are 3 neat examples), which time out of work allows. Allowing them to maintain a decent work-life balance can also avoid employee burnout and increase how long they stay with your company and stay motivated. For an employer, offering flexible working options can be a way to achieve this. Today we have the technology to make this work effectively, so if you can, why not? Marketers are a creative group, give them room to develop on a personal level as well as in their careers.
