Once at the factory where I worked as the IT director, we were preparing reports for yet another event. We needed to calculate and provide metrics based on the given list, among them was employee turnover. It turned out that my turnover rate was zero.
Among the managers, I was the only one like this, which drew attention to me. I was surprised myself – it seems that when employees don’t leave you, it’s strange and unusual.
In total, I worked as a manager for about 7-10 years (I'm not exactly sure which periods to include), but the zero turnover remained. No one ever left me; I never fired anyone. I only hired.
Zero turnover, as a metric, was never my ultimate goal. However, I strive to ensure that the efforts invested in people do not go to waste. Now I will roughly describe how I lead so that people do not leave – perhaps you will find something useful for yourself. I do not claim to cover the topic thoroughly since I base it solely on personal experience. It’s quite possible that I’m doing everything wrong.
The manager's responsibility
I have always believed that the failures of an employee are the failures of their manager. Therefore, I always smile when I hear a boss berating their subordinates in a meeting.
If I manage someone and they are not performing well, then I must be doing something wrong, and helping them reach the required (for me) level is my task. In other words, it’s up to me to figure out how to develop them, not them.
I stumbled over this point several times. Someone comes to me, and after a month wants to quit. I ask – why? They say – I don’t meet the requirements. I say – why does that concern you? Well, they respond, I’m bad, I need to be fired.
I have to explain that if they aren’t performing well, then something is wrong with my management system, and I will change it. They just need to not stress and simply work. I will come up with something.
Taking individual characteristics into account
It sounds banal, but I utilize it. People are very different, and this must be taken into account. One is a great developer and needs solitude. Great, here are some headphones and a quiet corner; you will receive tasks by email. Another enjoys talking and engaging people – perfect, go gather requirements and submit tasks.
The third one thinks too slowly – fine, he shouldn't be on the support line. The fourth one has an 8 out of 10 on the 'Luck' metric — so he gets the most ridiculous tasks. The fifth one doesn't have developed abstract thinking, can't visualize solutions in his head – great, we use a Korean breakfast.
And so on. There was a time when I tried to put everyone under the same comb – it doesn't work, it creates internal resistance. Everyone wants to be themselves.
People as employees
I always try to see people in employees and talk to people, not employees. They're completely different entities.
An employee needs to fulfill their plan, behave in a certain way, attend corporate events, etc.
A person needs to pay a mortgage, take their child to practice during work hours, vent their frustrations, earn more money, gain self-confidence, and think about the future.
That's the person I try to work with, not their projection on corporate standards.
Letting someone leave work
Strangely enough, many have this problem – it's hard to take time off from work, especially if it needs to be done regularly. You have to make up the time later, take unpaid leave, or arrange a flexible schedule.
I myself have children who constantly go to some training sessions. For the past four years, I have never worked a full day.
I treat employees the same way. There was a guy whose child attended a speech therapy kindergarten, and they had to be picked up by 5 PM – what's the harm? Let him leave an hour early every day. And various issues, like hospital visits, school holiday events, or running to buy insurance – absolutely no problem.
Strangely enough, no one has ever abused this. And they appreciate it a lot.
Corporate values and standards
I couldn't care less. I used to believe in this nonsense when I worked at my first company, but then I realized it's ridiculous. It's like store decorations – one is blue, another is red, in one you can sample sausage, in another the bread is fresh. Am I really going to shop there just because it's red?
I indulge in it myself and advise my subordinates. I don't forbid it, of course, if someone has a strong need for belonging and wants to participate in a musical production, but I won't support it either.
Protection
Protecting employees from the company itself is often necessary. For instance, from bureaucracy. If everyone is forced to write some report, I try to relieve my team from that, sometimes taking the report upon myself.
Sometimes, protection is needed from people – managers, clients, other bosses, etc. Programmers can often be introverted and have little experience with office conflicts, so I take the heat and try to resolve the situation myself.
Income
There’s an issue with programmers – it’s not always clear what they are being paid for. So, making sure they earn more is challenging. But I do my best.
Typically, I approach this by changing the motivation system – I come up with one that allows for higher earnings by putting in more effort or increasing efficiency. That is, everyone shares one motivation system, but mine is different. Then, when they see the efficiency of my programmers, others ask me to create a motivation system for their departments.
Working outside regular hours
I hate working outside regular hours. Therefore, I strongly advise everyone not to do it. At the factory, this was a constant source of conflict with other managers.
They are used to keeping their staff after hours and pulling them in on weekends. If they need a programmer on Sunday, they come and demand it. I tell them off. I say they are foolish for not being able to plan their work to fit within an 8-hour day.
Manipulation
Anyone can be manipulated, including managers. I find this repulsive. Therefore, I put a stop to any attempts to manipulate me.
I never have favorites, ugly ducklings, right-hand people, or favorites. Anyone who tries to become one is given a lecture on manipulation.
Objectives
The goals set by the company, I always supplement or completely replace. The end goal for mine is always higher and broader.
Honestly, in no company are employees' goals properly formulated. There are some vague, meaningless ones that end up being demotivating.
I set ambitious goals. Something like doubling productivity.
Personal goals
I strive to understand the personal goals of each individual and assist in achieving them through work. Typically, programmers' personal goals are somehow linked to their profession or can be realized through it.
For example, if someone wants to become a manager, I help them. I've actually launched an internship program, a sandbox for managers – I simply give part of the team to manage, provide support, and if the results are satisfactory, the person gets the team under their permanent command.
Forced development
I push for development. Given that I only recognize growth through practice, a person is given tasks that are challenging for them.
Not all, but about 30% should be something unfamiliar, new, and difficult. To keep the brain constantly engaged, rather than operating on autopilot.
Currently, I've made development a norm by incorporating it into our metrics. That is, there's no nirvana at all – every month there needs to be progress. So far, it seems to be working.
Conflicts
I love conflicts because they reveal problems. I don't ignore them; I dig in and seek solutions. This applies to both internal and external conflicts.
In fact, we should be grateful for conflicts. There’s nothing worse than hidden problems that erupt at the most inconvenient time.
Contacts outside of work
I reduce this to zero. No corporate parties, meetings, outings, or laser tag trips. If they meet somewhere without me – that’s their business.
I believe that a team's meeting with management in an informal setting is self-deception. It seems everyone understands that the boss there is no longer the boss. But they all remember that tomorrow it's back to work. And they can’t fully relax. Therefore, the environment is already not entirely informal.
Atmosphere
It's difficult to explain here. In a team, there is always a certain atmosphere, mood, mindset, tension, relaxation, electrification, sluggishness, etc. In short, the atmosphere.
The leader, meaning me, should be responsible for this atmosphere. I constantly monitor this atmosphere. Even more accurately: I create it. Then I monitor and adjust it. That is, I function as something like an entertainer, clown, or master of ceremonies.
I've noticed that the atmosphere magically enhances effectiveness. I even have data on this collected over the last couple of years; I'll write about it sometime. With the right atmosphere, you can grow two or three times without applying any other methods.
Basically, it's enough to take charge of the atmosphere within your area of responsibility, and then it begins to happen on its own. I don't know how else to explain it.
No formalities
I try to minimize any court ceremonies and communication etiquette. I aim for communication to be as simple and effective as possible.
At first, when a new employee joins, it's quite challenging. It's unusual for people when the phrase 'what nonsense you wrote' is not an insult but just a code evaluation. I have to explain and catch those who think they're being hinted at to resign.
The real joy comes later when everyone gets accustomed. No need to sugarcoat things or wrap speech in standards. The code is bad? We just say so. Is the person slacking? They are slacking. They shouldn't have gone in the wrong direction.
Unconditional obedience
I always strive for unconditional obedience. If I said not to work today, then you don't work today. If I say one hour to write code and another hour to walk outside, that's what it should be. If I say to remove the second monitor, it must be done. I demand to switch places; there's no room for whining.
This isn't foolishness; it's experimentation and hypothesis testing. Everyone knows this, so they don't resist. As they say, they are up for any hustle except for a hunger strike. Because the results of these experiments improve their effectiveness, income, and develop competencies. Therefore, no explanations are needed.
Special
I've noticed that people like to feel special compared to other employees in the company. That's why I make them feel unique.
We almost always have our motivation system, our goals, our methods, our effectiveness, our approaches, and our philosophy.
People especially like it when this uniqueness is observed from the outside, or even from above. I try to ensure that's the case. For instance, so that the director knows we are increasing effectiveness and succeeding, which earns him more money. Then I nudge him to come and praise the people. They get joyful like children and continue to strive.
Quality Requirements
I have high standards for quality. Well, you know – so the guys won't be embarrassed to show their work. I extend these standards to my subordinates.
Simply because I believe it's a useful skill. And also because I’m responsible for what my subordinates do.
I often make them redo things when possible. But more often, I try to be present during the design stage to ensure everything is done right from the start.
People get used to it, and they start to like it. Primarily because others have lower standards, which gives my team a competitive edge.
I help a lot.
I mean, I don't just abandon them. If a task needs to be done, we do it together, not just him. That is, the whole team is accountable, and since I am part of that team, this rule applies to me as well.
If something needs to be done urgently and someone is struggling, I sit down and help. If they’re stuck and deadlines are tight, I take over and do it myself. Then, once we deliver, I explain how it should have been done, where the mistake was, etc.
I make sure we help each other.
Again, it's not just for the sake of it. In our field, competencies are crucial, especially in subject-specific and methodological areas. These skills are always scattered among different people. Therefore, the effectiveness of task resolution varies significantly between performers.
In general, it's enough to ensure that everyone knows each other’s tasks. We quickly discuss them out loud in the morning, and immediately connections are made. One says – oh, I did something similar. Great, you’ll help.
It's roughly like this. One guy spent 10 hours on a task because no one could help. The second time, he does it in 1 hour. Another guy, if he doesn’t get help, will also take 10 hours. But if he gets help, he’ll only take 2 hours. And the help will only take 5-10 minutes. In the end, we save time and have two people who can tackle that task.
Yes, and it's necessary to enforce it. Programmers don’t like talking to each other.
Termination Packet
I’ve already written an article about the termination packet, so I won’t repeat myself. What I always tell people is: you’re here temporarily, so take everything you can from your work. The only thing you won't be able to take when you leave is your competencies, experience, connections, and skills. That’s what you should focus on.
Don't try to integrate into the company by studying its history, prospects, who sleeps with whom, who earns what, and so on. This information is meaningless because it cannot be used after leaving. So it's not worth spending time on it.
The main point of the termination package is that the person working there brings more value to the company than someone who is just sitting at a job. Bringing value to the company is also a part of the termination package. It's a very useful competence.
Show the world
No, I don't organize bus tours for employees. I just try to share as much as possible about what is happening in the industry as a whole, at other companies, with other people. This is precisely so that people understand their current position.
In a person's self-assessment and goal setting, context, or a scale, or benchmarks with which they compare themselves is extremely important. If they only look at two colleagues, they might very well think they are the best programmer in the world. But if they consider what the guys at the neighboring company are doing, their assessment will shift immediately.
I want my team to have a maximally adequate assessment. I want them to think in terms of the entire country, not just the IT department or the village. Then they will want to develop.
Conclusions
The conclusions are yours to make. I've outlined the input and output, but I have no idea if one is conditioned by the other.
Input – how I lead.
Output – zero turnover.
It's quite possible that people aren't leaving not because of, but in spite of how I lead. Then I'm just left guessing why they stay here.
But there are markers that I carefully collect.
The first – when I resign, the team almost always scatters. They can't work with a new boss.
The second – recently one of my former team members went for an interview at a large factory, and the director was willing to hire him just because he worked in my team.
The third – I started to receive completely unfamiliar people who came specifically to see me, not the company.
The fourth – I periodically get messages from strangers online asking to join me.
The fifth – people from neighboring teams started to join me. In such numbers that the team is growing exponentially.
What do you think?
Source: habr.com
