There’s nothing worse than an unproductive and unappreciative work environment. This can cause employee retention rates to plummet, which in turn drains your savings and lowers productivity. Learn how to boost your retention rate by improving your work environment with these six tips.

Introduce Advancement

Your employees need to feel like they have a future with your company. One of the best ways to do that is to clearly outline advancement opportunities in your company. Whether it’s increased pay, more responsibility, more benefits or a promotion, show your employees how they can advance in your company.

Show Your Appreciation

Let your employees know when they’ve done a good job. Appreciation of a job well done helps people feel valued and like their work doesn’t go unnoticed. Particularly highlight when an employee goes above and beyond their job description. This not only helps that employee feel valued, it could encourage other employees to work harder and improve employee retention.

Set Engaging Goals

From the office to the field, everyone wants recognizable and engaging goals. Assist your employees in finding meaning in their work and give them clear goals to follow. Without a clear goal it’s difficult to understand how a single employees work fits into the broader scheme of the company.

Spend some time discussing how each individual job fits together. In the age of hyperspecialization, many employees may not even know how their roles work together to create a product or service. This can help give a stronger sense of ownership of your business.

Be Honest

Dishonest or unclear communication dramatically reduces employee retention. Show your company that you care for each individual by taking the time to communicate important information clearly, effectively and honestly. Don’t give the impression that you’re hiding important details from your employees.

Find ways to help your employees communicate their needs and wants with management. Clear dialogue can create a more positive, productive environment for everyone.

Introduce Flexible Schedules

Many jobs rely on technological tasks and communication, so more and more employees are able to conduct their work outside the office. If it makes sense for your company, find ways to give employees more flexible scheduling and work options.

Start Early

There’s no time like the present to get started improving your employee retention. By investing in positive company culture, improved communication, flexible schedules and more, you’ll discover your employees are more happy, productive and stick around longer.