More and more employers are realizing today that the top reason employees stay at a company is because of a unique, supportive culture. Ten years ago the top reason why employees stayed at a company was – you guessed it – money. In 2011, money dropped down between 6^th and 9^th place out of 10 for reasons why an employee is happy in the workplace. Why the change you might be asking? Let’s take a look at the major market indicators from ten years ago.

The financial markets indexes ten years ago were pretty close to where they are now. Unemployment was very low. Housing market was going crazy and banks were practically “giving” money away. In 2001 great and even good employees could demand a higher salary and they would get it. And if they didn’t, they would go to another employer and get it there. The loyalty level was much lower and it became unheard of to stay at the same job for even close to ten years. The average employee stayed closer to four years. Since money was flowing so freely it was easier to train new employees than try to keep them.

Fast forward to the present: major market swings, high unemployment, uncertain government direction, dead housing market, banks not letting go of a penny…The companies that focused on their employees in the last ten years are the ones that have been able to survive the major changes and uncertainty that grew during the economic standoff. The current nationwide research shows that only 10% of employees have stayed with the same company for ten or more years and this is on the rise from ten years ago. Here at InVision, we have bucked the trend with over 30% of our amazing employees who have stayed with us for over ten years…and 60% have been with us for over five years.

We have noticed and supported within our programs to work on the need for employers to continue to focus on the employee and the bottom line because we all have to face the truth – without profit and growth there is only one other direction to go.

Interaction, full disclosure, recognition, honesty, respect and continued support and education will keep a culture strong and provide a more stable environment. Employees will notice and will work hard to help support the culture and company. Losing employees is a VERY costly process nowadays and the value of having employees at all levels who buy into the culture and the direction of the company is the true differentiator that other companies want to have and want to work with.