How do employers reduce attrition in today's competitive environment? originally appeared on Quora, the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

It’s certainly an unusual job environment right now and employers want to retain their top talent. Here are 6 things that they can do to reduce attrition and prevent employees from making an untimely exit:

1. Show gratitude. Employees are less likely to leave if they feel that their efforts are being noticed and that they are appreciated. Come up with creative ways to show your team that you see their contributions. Give them an afternoon off for holiday errands, write a letter to their family singing their praises, compliment their performance publicly, or just tell them that you appreciate them. It will go a long way.

2. Incorporate flexibility. Many employees want more flexibility in their schedules. Less rigidity helps with better work-life integration. Meet with employees one on one to come up with a schedule that works best for both parties while still accomplishing business objectives. There is likely an effective compromise that will make both you and your employees smile.

3. Include employees in the conversation. Here’s a simple (but effective) idea. Ask them what would make them feel more valued and likely to stay at your organization. I’m certain that they have ideas that they’d be happy to share. Then, act on what they tell you.

4. Offer unusual perks. Everything has gotten so basic and standard in terms of benefits. Offer something that no one else does. Perhaps a childcare stipend, or sporting tickets, or a gift certificate for a night out with their families. Sometimes it’s the little things that make them value you.

5. Assess growth opportunities. Is there an opportunity for employees to move up within your organization? If so, show them the path. If there isn’t one internally, they’ll be more likely to find one externally.

6. Increase pay for top performers. Conduct a critical analysis and identify your top performers- you know those critical people that you couldn’t stand to lose. Next, perform an analysis to see if you are paying them in accordance with their top performer status (in relation to their peers). If you are not, make adjustments to ensure that you keep the good ones and prevent them from leaving for higher paying positions somewhere else.

This question originally appeared on Quora.

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