As the job market heats up, many employees are hitting the streets, with star performers leading the charge.   Beneficiaries will be managers who have created a shield around their teams - shields built on factors other than financial rewards.  A Gallup study of 3 million employees found that employees do not quit companies, they quit managers. 

As managers, what can be done to get our key people to stay engaged?

1. Grow Them.  The number one reason we see bankers willing to entertain a job change is because they want career growth – money is always important, yet personal growth is most times the driving factor.  Personal growth must be ongoing with your key team members.  Leaders invest in their own growth and the growth of their key personnel.
2. Accommodate Them:  For team members, success and personal fulfillment come from doing what they do best every day.  One of the vital roles managers play is helping team members play to their own unique talents.
3. Know Them.  It is said that Napoleon would walk among his troops and frequently asked about particular family members.  Even his generals were amazed at how much information he could remember about the personal affairs of low ranking solders.  When some of his generals defected late in Napoleon’s reign, the rank and file solders stood by him and enabled him to retake France.  We must show our teams that we care about them as individuals not just as producers or FTEs. 
4. Lead Them:  Few things energize people more than an optimist.  Team members look to leaders for a “reading of the tea leaves”.  Leaders who always see a glass as half-full will experience greater retention.  Model genuine optimism and you will create confidence and loyalty. 
5. Humble Yourself: We each must create an environment of approachability.  No leader can be on top of every issue.  So we must be approachable so key employees will feel free to express their desires, needs, etc., before they resort to the interviewing trail.

Randall Clark is an ex-banker with 20 years experience within the industry.  He currently is the managing partner of BankersforHire.com, an executive search firm committed to the executive staffing needs of Georgia and Florida financial institutions.