Keeping good employees has become an overwhelming challenge for many companies.

While job-skippers may seem to outsiders to be moving only for the money, the reasons turn out to be rather different. A 25-year-long Gallup poll reveals that there are several factors that keep an employee in one company. The poll discloses that employees stay where they feel appreciated, where they feel their own work is contributing to the overall mission of the company, where they have good friends at work, and most importantly, when they have a manager who truly manages them. When employees leave, they leave managers - not companies.

If you notice that good employees are leaving, look to the managers. Employers who have lost valuable people - in whom they have invested time, training, and nurturing - need to reexamine their workplace culture.

What's the secret to keeping valued employees? When the Gallup organization interviewed employees, they discovered what makes a great place to work:

• knowing what is expected of you
• having the right materials and equipment to do the job
• having the opportunity to do what you do best every day
• knowing that someone at work cares about you
• feeling your opinions count

And since the immediate managers most directly influence whether or not these things are realized, it follows that good managers keep good people.

This is not to say that a decent salary and good benefits are not important - of course they are. What is important is whether people feel they make a difference to the company, whether they are motivated, whether there are real growth opportunities.

If you have good employees, they will probably get offers to work elsewhere. If you value them, they will feel important enough to you to make them think twice before leaving. The companies that keep their people have managers who achieve a dynamic working environment that benefits the employees and allows the business to prosper. When a manager appreciates his or her employees - actually listens to their ideas and encourages collaboration - they will want to stay, despite the offer of a new job. And retaining good employees is the key to productivity and profitability. So perhaps it is not just about the money after all.