Turnover can be incredibly frustrating. You spend a lot of time and money in training, only to see your top talent walk out the door just a short time later. Here are some tips to stop engineering turnover for good.

Take Steps to Understand Your Turnover

Recent studies have shown there are a number of factors that can make an employee stay with a company or decide to leave. Many engineers will leave a position when they feel they are no longer being competitively compensated for their work. It’s also been shown that a lack of a clear career path or job flexibility can lead to higher turnover rates. While many employers have the best of intentions when it comes to hiring an employee, sometimes the opportunities for growth within a particular position are limited, leading to a steady stream of new employees within the same position. As an employer concerned with the turnover rates of your engineers, you need to understand where the disconnect is between your expectations and those of your employees. This will help you better understand why you are having difficulty keeping your engineers for the long haul.

Focus on Training

Providing training opportunities to your engineers may have some upfront costs at first, but companies should consider this to be a long-term investment in their employees, their product and their corporate culture. There are many highly skilled engineers in the current market who are frustrated they are not offered chances to grow and learn on the job. This can inevitably lead to higher turnover rates and financial losses for both the employee and the employer. It is far better to identify the employees who are most likely to succeed given the right opportunities, challenges and support, and then provide those learning opportunities. Your engineers will appreciate the respect and confidence you have in them and rise to the challenge given the chance to shine.

Evaluate Your Management Style

Engineers in particular are a type of highly skilled professional who have undergone years of education and training to build the skills and develop the knowledge needed to earn the title. Some employers make the mistake of lumping their engineers in with other skilled workers, when the management style that succeeds best with this type of worker might require a different approach. If you find yourself micromanaging or arguing with your engineers too often, chances are you will also struggle with high turnover rates.  Make sure when you are managing your engineers, you approach the situation from a position of trust, high-level leadership and listening. Poor management can lead to loss of respect and reduced morale on behalf of your engineering team. These negative aspects of a corporate culture will inevitably lead to higher turnover, so think very carefully about how you are helping your team accomplish their tasks and what resources you can provide to set them up for success.

For more advice on recruiting and retaining a winning engineering staff, connect with the hiring experts at Verum Technical today.