Assessing the most valuable business resource

Businesses of all shapes, sizes, and markets are driven by their customers. Successfully reaching customers and engaging them makes or breaks the business. But what drives the customers? Employees.

It's being reported that coders out in Silicon Valley are getting agents. As the best in their field, they're seeking out representation to shout, "show me the money!" It makes sense too, seeing as top-notch employees are the most valuable resource for a business, big or small.

While it's unlikely your employees will have their own agents, you'll want to make them feel like they do, giving them the rock star treatment when they deserve it. The easiest way for businesses to find the ideal employee with all the right skills is to poach them from others. This makes it crucial for businesses to track any signs of displeasure from their employees. As the

article,

Protect the Investment in Your Most Valuable Resource (Your People!)

, highlights, by 2015, 60 percent of newly created jobs will require skills held by only 20 percent of the population.

The first sign there may be some discontent within your employees is if some have already left on their own will—the more voluntary turnover, the more significant. This should get you to look into supervisor performance. Supervisors who have exhibited difficulties with subordinates in the past are more likely to continue the behavior into the future. Getting on the same page with all the supervisors can help prevent issues like this.

It's also good to know of any disparities between your business and simliar ones. You don't want employees thinking the grass is greener on the other side of fence, but rather

know

that the grass is greenest right where they are. Factors like hours, wage, vacation time, location, and size are all things you need to know about your competitors. Know the whole package and how it stands against other businesses, in case someone else is looking at your top-performing employees.

Another thing to look for is boredom. Boredom could be sign of an employee being underused and not challenged enough. Excited employees are happy, more productive employees. Don't shy from talking with them about what they would like to see change within their position.

Being proactive is the best way to protect your employees. This is a case where the best defense is definitely a good offense. This means not always waiting until a review period to provide feedback to the employee and vice versa. Another option is talking about a professional development plan with your employees and maybe setting up some kind of mentor program to help expand horizons. Becoming more accessible to your employees helps retain employees, along with making the business more accessible to the employees' desires.

Employees are the heart of a business. They are your most valuable resource, making it all important for you to retain them. Undergoing a heart transplant is risky business, so you always want to make sure they are treated properly and keep the business going.

For more on the best practices to retain employees, visit

and read

Protect the Investment in Your Most Valuable Resource (Your People!).

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.