There is an epidemic of staff attrition, especially among our younger recruitment staff members, that constantly plagues enrollment teams at private institutions across North America. I know we can't keep them all, nor would we want to, but there is significant benefit in targeting your top performers and making it worthwhile for them to stay, develop and contribute.
How though?
The low-hanging fruit often grasped at is through money and title, but while those can have an impact on staff retention, there is a "secret sauce" to employee engagement that is often overlooked. the key word is influence. As your best young staff members are getting more and more comfortable in their primary areas of responsibility, they are often simultaneously starting to get restless, looking for ways to make an impact in different ways. The wise and observant leader will intentionally detect and leverage emerging strengths and competencies in these individuals and place them in appropriately widening levels of influence and impact according to the tangible needs of the department. In turn, the staff member feels more included, engaged and important, leading to the strong potential of a lengthening of their commitment to the team.