You may feel like Mine That Bird, coming into that final turn along the inside rail, picking up speed, success is in sight. Finally, victory, you have reduced employee turnover.

It’s not uncommon right now to see employee turnover declines of more than 40%. Congratulations, a job well done. . . Not so fast.

The real question is: Why? Why are Employees not leaving? Has the intent to stay improved because you, as an employer, have done an outstanding job? Have you suddenly advanced to a Preferred Employer status? As Vice President of Human Resources are you leading the management team in communicating and listening to your employees and pro actively engaging them to advance in their levels of efficiency?

Mine That Bird ran a great race. He held back until that last turn when the timing was right. Then, without hesitation he made his move. Well, if you have not been talking to your employees and do not know their intent to stay, you could be in for a real surprise. When the time is right, without hesitation, your employees will leave and sooner than you think. The applications for jobless benefits have plunged significantly, according to a May 7th article from the Associated Press. This economy will revive as quickly as it fell.

Overall, we have all done a poor job in communicating with employees during this slow down. We did not quell their fears; we did not build their trust. On the contrary, we suddenly turned on them and treated our employees as the enemy. We saw them as sacrificial cost targets and fired upon them at will in a time of fear and panic. They Will Remember!

It’s not too late, become a Preferred Employer. Talk to your employees and find out their current concerns. Commit to making your business an increasingly better place to work. Brand a shared employee-employer relationship. Enable employees to contribute and at the same time achieve their occupational purpose. If not, They Will Remember!