What can employers do to retain talented people when the market picks up again? In some cases there is nothing they can do. If the employer added insult to injury (meaning: treating the employees like slaves during the market downturn) the employees will leave as soon as a better opportunity comes their way - especially if the opportunity is provided by a company that treats employees with respect and offers a fair salary. If the losing employer thinks they can fix the problem by now offering a little more money they are in for a surprise. If you kick a dog into the guts for 5 years he will still shy back even if you are mow offering a cookie. The money saved by offering no benefits and low salaries will now have to be spend on hiring a new employee for a higher market value
(remember: the market picked up already) and the loss of productivity for a while until the new employee is properly trained cuts into the margins. It would have been cheaper and better to avoid low-balling right from the beginning.
Companies that value their employees usually have fewer problems retaining the talent. They even get new employees referred by existing ones which often proves to be a good choice when hiring new talent. Small treats during hard times can pay off easily. If an employer explains that overall money is tight due to market conditions, but then shows appreciation when the market picks up gains much more respect than somebody trying to squeeze employees to the last drop. Free pizza lunches every once in a while or a gift certificate for Best Buy or the movie theatre help in keeping morale high and people motivated during hard market conditions, too.
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