Millions of people are looking for new jobs. In April, about four million people resigned from their position, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the highest quit level in more than 20 years. Some of your sales reps may have called it quits with your organization—or they may be considering it. While employee turnover happens, leaders can take steps to keep their top talent engaged and invested.

Speaker and author Julie Winkle Giulioni encourages leaders to practice some ABCs to avoid unwanted turnover. We discuss Giulioni’s thoughts on these ABCs in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Assess employee engagement—and do it often. If you don’t check in with your sales reps regularly, you won’t know what they’re thinking. Their current role may not fit their needs, wants or aspirations anymore. Ongoing dialogue provides helpful insight into employee motivations and sentiments, says Giulioni. When you keep the lines of communication open, you can hear what your team members need and look for ways to make their role more attractive.

Become as flexible as possible. The pandemic has given employees a whole new level of flexibility in how and where they work. Many employees don’t want to give up this flexibility. Sometimes, preventing employee turnover is as simple as giving your team members greater control over their work. Giulioni encourages leaders to advocate for what their employees need and to look for ways to offer even small accommodations. Flexibility is no longer a nice-to-have perk—it’s a need-to-have workplace quality. If you can’t offer flexibility, your employees may leave for a company that better fits their needs.

Control what you can and celebrate what you can’t. Your sales reps may still resign, even with greater flexibility, a salary boost or an upgraded title. Maybe your company can’t accommodate their requested working conditions. Or maybe employees’ professional interests have simply changed. When employees decide to leave, it’s always important to handle their departure with grace, says Giulioni. You may feel disappointed or even bitter when employees leave. However, remember that how you handle their offboarding can often color their feelings about their entire time with your company. When employees leave, give them heartfelt best wishes for their next endeavor. You never know when your paths might cross again. And, Giulioni points out that a leader’s most profound sign of success is the success of those around them.

To get ahead of employee turnover, remember these ABCs. Assess what your employees may need or want from their job and be as flexible as you can in creating the kind of environment or role they seek. You can’t control what they decide to do, but you can celebrate them and show appreciation for how they have impacted your team. And remember that a resignation may not be a permanent goodbye. Your sales reps may end up returning to your company or you may end up working with them in a different capacity in the future. Follow these ABCs to prevent employees from leaving, but wish them well if they still decide to go.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Julie Winkle Giulioni helps organizations enhance learning, engagement, retention and the bottom line. Her consulting firm, DesignArounds, specializes in enterprise-wide learning experiences and custom training.