While putting in effort to attract and engage great consultants is necessary to building a successful team, putting in effort to retain them can be a much less common practice. This is a mistake! Nothing disrupts a project like a great team member giving their notice and moving on before the project is complete, and an effective retention strategy can have a huge impact on the success of your initiative.
Here are three things to consider that can help increase consultant retention, and keep your team together throughout the duration of your project:
Create an environment where everyone has a voice
Nothing feels worse than being brushed aside or ignored when you have an idea to share. Creating a dynamic where employees and consultants have equal opportunity to speak and be heard goes a long way to fostering a healthy, productive workplace community. Remember to consider and make allowances for different communication styles – it could be that some people are not comfortable sharing ideas in a group setting, while others thrive when presenting to a team.
If a consultant feels their ideas are being heard, they will be more likely to ignore the phone when recruiters come calling with other opportunities.
Provide feedback and opportunities for growth
While historically people have cited compensation, benefits and vacation time as their primary professional motivators, those priorities have been shifting in recent years. As the millennial workforce population grows, it’s increasingly important to share regular feedback and map out opportunities for growth. Without feedback, positive or negative, it can be hard to feel that your work is being seen, and that your contributions are being valued. When feedback is accompanied by open discussion of both short and long term goals, consultants will know that they are an integral part of the team.
If a consultant feels their manager is investing in them, they will be more likely to stay with the company for the long haul.
Be transparent
We all know that in the workplace there can be hidden factors at play that impact projects and employees. When the full story is not made public, it can be easy for consultants to reach erroneous conclusions that could lead them back to the job market. Communicating openly about any changes in project direction or leadership can help your consultants feel confident in their position at the company and focused on executing against their deliverables.
Maintaining open, transparent communication with your consultants builds trust and commitment, leading to long term success.
Granite Solutions Groupe has been helping our clients find and engage high caliber consulting talent since 1998. Our consultants are diverse, experienced, driven and dynamic contributors who excel at getting things done. To find out more about how we can help your successfully team complete its next project, reach out to engage@granitesolutionsgroupe.com.