We often say that we want to "hold on to" or "keep" our good people. However, the phrases themselves may belie the truth about what we really think of our employees. "Holding on" is a picture of restraining physically and barricading the exits, and "keeping" is similarly negative. I believe these phrases illustrate our jaded "inside out" perspective about employee retention. Maybe we can begin using employee friendly terms to describe our desire for a continued business relationship with our employees?

This "inside out" approach hasn't worked with customers, so why do we think it will work with employees? Aren't employees our valued customers after all? In an attempt to improve customer retention, companies are migrating from an "inside out" to an “outside in” orientation. I’m betting we can improve employee retention by applying the lessons learned during this migration.

When companies start in an "inside out" mode, they develop their processes, policies, and procedures by defining what is best based on the company's perspective of things. In this mode, the company talks about "holding on to" or "keeping customers." Recent customer retention research has demonstrated that this "inside out" strategy is detrimental to the bottom line.

Companies are learning how to flip their thinking so they start designing strategies around the customer's perspective. This "outside in" approach enhances customer satisfaction and retention. Once embraced, this approach helps companies create environments in which customers want to stay. Companies no longer "hold on to" or "keep customers." Instead they build a partnership based on insight and trust.

In the same way we can enhance employee retention by looking through their eyes. By focusing "outside in," we can stop "holding on to" employees and start creating environments in which employees want to stay and grow.