In an employee-driven workforce, it鈥檚 more important than ever for organizations to attract and retain quality team members. In an education session at the 2024 小猪视频 Growth, Innovation and Leadership Experience (小猪视频), Sonnie Linebarger, Founder and CEO of Evoke Greatness, and Eric Scharber, Executive Vice President of SimiTree, shared strategies organizations can implement to cultivate a high-performing team.
Work-Life Balance
The pair began the session with a discussion on the importance of work-life balance, addressing the need for leaders to prioritize creating an environment that employees want to be engaged in, as well as adapting to the needs and desires of the current workforce.
鈥淣one of us want to work 100 hours a week,鈥� Scharber said. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 up to us to adapt to this workforce that we鈥檙e dealing with right now, which is primarily millennials and Gen Z.鈥�
The two advised organizations to create a distinctive environment that sets them apart from their competitors, emphasizing flexibility in the workplace and work-life balance as a key strategy to attract talent.
Company Culture
Buying into the organization鈥檚 mission and vision plays a key role in keeping employees engaged, the pair noted during the session. Linebarger emphasized the importance of employees being actively engaged in the process and feeling that they play a significant role in shaping the organization鈥檚 culture.
鈥淚t can鈥檛 just be here鈥檚 our mission statement,鈥� Linebarger said. 鈥淟ike put a stamp on it and everybody believes in it, it doesn鈥檛 work like that.鈥�
Scharber echoed the sentiment and added that compensation, as well as the organization鈥檚 financial performance is also crucial to a positive company culture. He noted that a company experiencing financial success and promoting employees because of that growth will foster a strong and positive company culture.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what people want, opportunities to advance, work-life balance, compensation,鈥� Scharber said.
Recruitment and Retention
When discussing strategies for addressing recruitment and retention challenges, Linebarger and Scharber emphasized the critical importance of leaders taking care of their existing employees.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about building bench strength and about pouring into and developing your people,鈥� Linebarger said.
The pair advised leaders to consider forming a committee or designating a specific person to focus on retention. They noted that existing HR teams can often handle this responsibility, eliminating the need for external assistance and additional funding.
鈥淏uild committees at different levels to say what鈥檚 really working here, what鈥檚 not working here, what are people talking about,鈥� Linebarger said.
The pair also stressed that leaders should prioritize investing in employee training and development, providing recognition and appreciation and striving to understand their colleagues’ priorities as key strategies to address retention and recruitment challenges.
鈥淭ake the time to listen,鈥� Linebarger said. 鈥淢ost of the problems and complex issues within a company can be solved by the people who are around you. You just have to be willing to listen. You have to be willing to ask the right questions.鈥�
With more than 350 attendees, more than 50 sponsors and countless connections made, 小猪视频 was a massive success for everyone. and register for 小猪视频 2025, May 5-7 in Dallas.