Many businesses today struggle with the problem of high staff turnover. Industries with unskilled workers may have difficulty retaining staff due to them finding better opportunities, while for industries requiring skilled workers it can be even more difficult to retain them which is, in some sense, even more important.

The time you spend training a new recruit is expensive, and then it can take some time before the new employee is confident enough in the role to reach maximum productivity. For employers, this constant ebb and flow of vital staff can be a huge problem.

Compounding the issue, we also have the possibility of incompetent managers working for us who (ironically perhaps) believe the way to get the most out of the workers is to dangle the threat of dismissal over their heads like the Sword of Damocles.

Nothing could be further from the truth, however, as workers will never be at their most effective when fear is their only incentive. In fact, it can actually drive them from the workplace, as they will look to find more secure options.

Winning the loyalty of staff does not have to be a power struggle, however. You can actually motivate staff simply by surrendering a little power to them through the use of an inclusive management strategy. As a case study in the successful implementation of such a strategy, let’s consider the AlldayPA business started by entrepreneurship guru, Reuben Singh.

AlldayPA provides telephony and other personal assistant services to their customers. At the heart of it, of course, the business is a high-level call centre.

As we should all be aware, call centre staff turnover is among the highest in any industry because of the usually terrible conditions, poor pay, and high stress that workers endure. Singh’s approach to this business goes completely against that well-established trend.

Singh’s strategy is focused on reward and incentive rather than fear. He also aims to make the job less stressful for his workers by giving them a clear sense of purpose. As the man himself says:

“We do one thing, and we do it very very well… we answer your phone!”

This gives his staff a single point of focus, so they know exactly what is expected of them and exactly what they should be striving for.

The other really important change Singh has made is to provide real incentives to his staff to actually want to do their jobs well, without the need for intimidation. Sure, they might be asked to wear a work id or maintain professional decorum while in the workplace. However, these are basic rules that every employee needs to abide by in an organization. The real problem comes in when job security is threatened on a constant basis. When workers are motivated by fear, it creates an atmosphere of distrust and if your workers can’t trust you, it most likely means you can’t totally trust them either.

By giving his workers some say in their working conditions and how they are compensated-a method known as Inclusive Management-Singh has managed to build a skilled, loyal, and motivated team with a minimum retention rate of 90%. This is huge!

If you want to achieve maximum loyalty from your staff, you should really consider following the example set by Reuben Singh and surrendering a little power, in order to be repaid much more in terms of staff loyalty and high motivation levels.

Just make sure that whatever outcomes are decided are fair for everyone, including yourself and your clients. That way, you can’t go wrong.