Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) include a variety of employee wellness strategies. An EAP often includes counseling, training, advice and policies designed to support employees and help them develop a successful work-life balance. They provide support to resolve challenges that may have a negative impact on work, even if the problems are personal and not caused by workplace issues.

As employers seek innovative ways to recruit and retain employees, an increasing number are turning to EAPs for a value-added benefit. An EAP provides confidential support for employees, answers questions and makes suggestions about resources, and offers insight into a variety of home-life-work concerns. Most programs offer unlimited phone consultations and one-on-one sessions with a counselor for each employee. Worth noting is the fact that the employees aren’t the only ones who benefit from EAPs. Many advantages are also afforded to employers. Here are some reasons why companies are turning to this system of support.

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And what you can do to keep them…

It’s often said, “Employees leave managers, not companies.” While this statement is not always true, we find that supervisor/employee conflicts are a big part of turnover. A poll by Gallup supports this belief: They found that up to 50% of employees who quit cite their manager as the main reason. One cause is that, as employees get promoted into supervisory roles, they’re not appropriately trained in how to manage people, which can increase turnover. HR should take steps to ensure managers receive proper training on coaching and communication techniques.

 

People naturally want to work where they’re valued. Empathetic relationships between managers and employees can be the key to lower turnover and higher productivity. Employee turnover is extraordinarily expensive, so it’s important to take whatever actions you can to mitigate it.

 

Some specific reasons your top employees might quit include:

 

• Lack of feedback or coaching. Sixty-two percent of U.S. workers want more input on their performance, including 90 percent of Millennials who expect daily feedback. Executives and HR need to ensure their managers are partnering with employees to coach performance.

 

• Not feeling valued or recognized. Ensuring that employees feel heard and acknowledged can make a significant difference in morale and employee longevity.

 

• Lack of professional development. Your top talent is already great at what they do, but they want to continue developing their skills to become even better. Ensuring that professional development is a top priority at your organization will lead to top talent sticking around.

 

• Lack of communication. An indication of comfort level is the degree to which an employee feels comfortable going to their manager with any type of question. Honest, specific feedback from and to your employees in real time is important. Focus on direct, one-on-one conversations when possible.

 

Help your managers do more “Good” and less “Bad” and “Ugly.”

 

The Good Coaching Both for managers and employees Acknowledgment Shine the spotlight. Give credit where credit is due   Performance Reviews Make them quarterly instead of annual to provide more timely feedback

The Bad   Micromanagement Bad for the employee, bad for the manager Poor communication Leads to mistakes and uncertainty

The Ugly Favoritism Can drive a wedge and make teamwork impossible Intimidation Prevents the development of a positive culture