Are you prepared for the Great Resignation? Retention is the new black. Here are 11 Takeaways on Employee Engagement from Green Goldfish 2.0:

1. It starts with engaged employees. Satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers. Long-term employees lead to long-term relationships with customers. 

2. You need to go “beyond dollars.” Studies show financial compensation is not a strong long-term motivator for employees. Money can be more of a hindrance than a help.

3. Leadership and intent matters. 75 percent of people voluntarily leaving jobs don’t quit their jobs … they quit their bosses. 

4. Caring counts, even in small amounts. Of 75 possible drivers of engagement the ONE that was rated as the most important was the extent to which employees believed that their senior management had a sincere interest in their well-being. 

5. Focus on what you can control—creating a great work environment. Do the little things to show that you care for your employees.

6. Research suggests that supporting and incentivizing staff improves motivation and engagement, which in turn impacts productivity. Take care of employees first with an inside-out approach.

7. The 15 types of Green Goldfish can be broken into the Three B’s:
Building: Creating a stable environment where people can thrive
Belonging: Enabling high functioning teams and recognizing their efforts
Becoming: Empowering employees to learn, give back, and take control of their destiny 

8. First impressions rule. Research shows that employees make the critical decision to stay or leave within the first six months. When new hires participate in an onboarding program, organizations can “maximize retention, engagement, and productivity.” 

9. Recognition resonates in the workplace. It can power engagement and productivity. In the words of Angela Maiers, “YOU MATTER. These two words can change your mood, change your mind, and have the power to change lives and the world if we understand and leverage them in the right way.” 

10. Start small, start now. Start small when adding a signature extra and add more gradually. The best brands are those who boast a whole school of Green Goldfish for their employees. 

11. Go Green. A Green Goldfish is defined as any time a business purposely goes above and beyond to provide a little something extra to differentiate the experience and honor the relationship with its employees. 

What are your one or two signature differentiators in employee experience?

Instead of being a “me too,” what is the one special thing your company does that is superior and distinctive in the eyes of your employees? 

What is that little something extra that is tangible, valuable, and talkable? 

What’s Your Green Goldfish?

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Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.