High-performing employees are the backbone of any successful business. According to research published by the Harvard Business Review high performers can be a staggering 400% more productive than their average counterparts. That said, without the right support and the right working environment, even the most talented employees can become disengaged or fail to reach their true potential. For businesses, and in particular SMEs, ensuring that these individuals remain motivated, able to perform at a high level and retained within the business is essential for sustained growth.
Why Supporting High Performers is Crucial
Retaining high performing talent is not just about offering high annual salaries. Research by Culture Amp reveals that high performers are motivated to stay with their employer if they have a sense of belonging, if there are development opportunities and if they are regularly provided with constructive feedback as these people are excited by understanding how they can be even better.
By nurturing high-performing employees, businesses can:
- Enhance overall productivity and innovation
- Foster leadership from within
- Improve team morale and engagement
- Reduce recruitment costs by minimising turnover
Key Strategies to Support High Performers
It is vital for the success of a business to implement a number of approaches and strategies in order to support high performing employees. These employees should be offered personalised development opportunities. By creating bespoke learning opportunities that broaden an employee’s skills and that positively pushes them outside their comfort zone you are helping to stimulate high performers and make them feel valued and engaged. Regular recognition is also a powerful motivator. Recognition doesn’t always need to be financial; public acknowledgment, additional responsibilities, or the opportunity to work on a new project or workstream can be just as effective. Micromanaging high performers can lead to frustration and disengagement. When high performers feel trusted and empowered to make decisions and take ownership of their work they find this autonomy to be highly motivating so let high performers innovate and problem solve whenever possible. It’s important for businesses to look after all their staff but burnout is a significant risk for high achievers so they must be encouraged to take regular breaks, use their annual leave entitlement, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. It’s important that businesses create the right culture and don’t push employees beyond their limits so promoting flexible working options and discouraging poor working practices is vital. If employers can create clear career progression pathways then this will support high performers who are ambitious and want to advance their careers. Businesses should engage high performers in regular progression reviews so that they understand what is required to reach the next stage in their career and how the business can enable them to get there. If high performers are stifled and their careers are stagnated then they are more likely to leave.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
When businesses have high performers there are a number of common mistakes and assumptions that need to be avoided. First of all, never assume that just because an employee is a high performer that they don’t need guidance, support and encouragement. Yes, high performers are often highly self-motivated but they should be supported, coached and developed as well so that they can maximise their potential. While it may be tempting to give more work or additional duties to high performers, excessive workloads can have a negative impact. Ultimately, high performers only have the same number of working hours as every other employee, so review their performance, discuss with them realistic targets and objectives but don’t take advantage of them by overloading them as it will be counter-productive. Employees who are high performers understand what they excel at but they generally have a thirst for knowledge and development so regular, constructive feedback is crucial. High performers value clarity and direction so make time for them and discuss performance as you would with any other member of your team.
Supporting high-performing employees is not just beneficial for the individual; it has a ripple effect across the entire organisation. By investing in their development, recognising their contributions, and creating a supportive environment, businesses can ensure that their best talent remains engaged, motivated, and committed to driving the business forward. High performing employees can also positively influence colleagues and through coaching and mentoring they can help to improve wider team and company performance.
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Why not also check out last weeks blog A Guide to Probation Periods
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