In 2022, a record 50.5 million people quit their jobs seeking higher wages, greater workplace flexibility, and opportunities for advancement. This has led organizations to focus, now more than ever, on practices to retain employees.Employee turnover has been shown to impact workplace culture, oftentimes becoming contagious within the company. Employee turnover also hurts operational budgets and, according to SHRM, could cost as much as three to four times the position's annual salary to hire a replacement.Employers that are curious about what to do to keep employees from exiting should consider building an internal communications program for employees. This program could include things like employee engagement emails, internal newsletters, employee acknowledgments, etc.Continue reading to learn how to use email as an easy and cost-effective way to boost employee retention using techniques and components proven to make an impact.Read: Top 7 Student Retention Strategies for Email Marketing
Why are employee retention emails important?
Employee retention emails are vital to any organization's internal communication strategy. According to the Harvard Business Review, professionals tend to check their emails approximately 15 times a day, which makes emails a reliable channel for consistent and engaging communications between management and employees.Employee engagement emails may look different depending on the occasion or audience. Here are some examples:
- Celebrate individual or team accomplishments - recognize employee anniversaries, project completions, or goal achievements.
- Communicate organizational updates - provide updates on facilities, team reorganizations, new leaders, etc.
- Onboard new employees - use an onboarding campaign to welcome employees and introduce them to your company culture.
- Professional development opportunities - share resources for upcoming training and development classes.
- Request feedback - survey employees to keep a pulse on employee sentiment.
How to create effective employee retention emails
An effective employee retention email contains several elements outlined below. Continue reading to learn how to create impactful communications.
Segment Your Audience
Segmentation helps to create effective and relevant employee retention emails. By segmenting an email list based on criteria such as department, role, tenure, or demographics, you can personalize communications to make them more engaging.For instance, if you’re communicating to a global organization, segment the audience into regions to share about local events, or if sending out a survey to gather feedback from a recent training, segment the audience into those who attended and those who did not.
Personalize and Showcase Recognition
Personalization can be a powerful tool in email communications that makes your employees feel recognized and appreciated. Regular recognition emails celebrating milestones or achievements can foster a positive work culture and increase employee retention.If celebrating an employee’s milestone anniversary, recognize the event featuring their photo, name, and number of years at the organization, alongside a note from their manager. Or, if inviting staff to a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, include colorful graphics and images representative of the culture and an outline of activities to spark interest in the event.
Create Relevant Email Categories
For recognition in the inbox, consider formatting emails according to their category, such as company news, cultural communications, professional development, and recognition. Employees may value specific categories above others, so providing a distinguishable look for each type of communication makes them more likely to pay attention to those they find more valuable.The design of your email can significantly impact the engagement it receives, so consider how to make your employee communications more user-friendly. Beefree's email templates offer a variety of visually appealing designs you can easily customize to suit your needs.
Select the Right Tone
Consistency in tone across emails helps establish a unified brand voice. Your tone should reflect your organization's culture and values, whether formal, informal, or somewhere in between. The style also includes how you use acronyms, slang, or jargon internally. We recommend using a personable tone to build stronger connections with employees.
Utilize Storytelling
Incorporating storytelling into internal communications helps to build an emotional connection with your employees. You could share stories about an individual’s contribution to greater organizational success, personal employee achievements, or the connection between a company goal or value with something seen in the “real world.”
Incorporate Interactive Elements
Interactive elements like polls, surveys, or clickable infographics can make your internal emails more engaging and encourage participation and readership. These elements improve engagement and, in the case of a poll or survey, provide valuable insights into your employees' opinions and ideas. They also help the employee feel heard and that their opinions matter to leaders in the organization.Examples of interactive elements to use on your next internal email:
- Requesting survey feedback following a guest speaker event or training to understand if the employees found it valuable.
- Poll employees to determine how many are interested in volunteering to help plant trees at the community park; a poll is a non-threatening way to capture headcounts that can be followed up on later for more specific details.
- Use a clickable infographic as a way to complete security training on identifying a phishing email; employees will appreciate the quick refresher on best security practices.
Optimize for Mobile
According to the Litmus, 2021 Email Client Market Share, mobile clients account for 41.6% of email opens, showcasing the importance of mobile-optimized emails. By ensuring that emails are easily read on mobile devices, you can up the chances that employees will engage even when on the go.Read: 10 Responsive Email Design Tips
A/B Test and Monitor Results
Continuous improvement is a part of any successful email strategy. Follow along with the results of your emails and determine changes based on your findings. In time, you’ll improve the effectiveness and interaction with your emails, doing your part to improve employee retention.
Essential Components of Employee Retention Emails
After studying employee retention emails, we have short-listed the following essential components you should consider when constructing your next email.
Attention-Grabbing Subject Lines
The subject line of your email is the first thing employees see, so the subject line must grab their attention and encourage them to open the email. Here are some examples of attention-grabbing subject lines:
- Who’s the Employee of the Month?!
- Reminder: Your Security Training is Due Today
- You’re Invited! Join us for a Cinco de Mayo Celebration on 5/5
Engaging Openings
The opening lines of an email set the tone for the rest of the communication’s content. Because of this, consider how you can use an engaging opening to draw attention to your employee and encourage them to read your emails.Example: "Hello , we have exciting news to share!"
CTA Buttons
Call-to-action (CTA) buttons direct employees toward taking a desired action and help improve overall email engagement. CTAs should be clear, compelling, and visually appealing. Consider using a bright color to call attention to them within the copy.Here are some examples of CTAs that can be used with an employee audience:
- Register for training now!
- RSVP for the company retreat
- We’d love to hear from you!
Read: How to Design Bulletproof CTA Buttons in Email
Employee Retention Email Templates
Beefree offers a range of customizable email templates specifically designed to help improve employee retention. These templates incorporate the essential components of effective emails and simplify the design process.From organizational updates to onboarding emails, Beefree’s templates can be used to engage and delight employees and build a strong company culture. Access the full Human Resource template collection here!
How Beefree Holds a 97% Employee Retention Rate
As previously mentioned, the rise of remote work and The Great Resignation of 2021 has impacted company culture and made employee retention significantly.Specifically in today's highly competitive tech industry, fostering employee retention has become increasingly crucial for organizations operating across diverse regions, cultures, and generations. This challenge is particularly multifaceted for SaaS companies.On September 6th, during the SaaStr Annual 2023 Beefree's CEO Massimo Arrigoni, and the People & Culture Director at Growens, Enrica Lipari will be sharing the 5 secrets to our 97% retention rate. If you already have your ticket, you can save your seat here!We hope to see you there!
