Happy wife, happy life. It’s a piece of advice that holds true not just for the happily married, but for the happily employed, too. If Hawaii employers want to hold on to their top performers in this tight labor market, they need to court their employees and continue to woo them long after the initial honeymoon phase.

So, how can you keep the spark alive?

Put a ring on it

Well, not literally. But getting “engaged” with your employees demonstrates your commitment to them. It also solidifies their place within the company. If you want your employees to invest into your company, you have to return the love by offering opportunities for growth, promoting collaboration, and encouraging communication.

Play hard to get

Employees actually like a good challenge. In fact, nearly 53 percent of employees said they love their job when it’s challenging. Assigning difficult projects or tasks to your employees shows that you trust in their abilities and in turn, they’ll work hard to prove you right.

Wine and dine

Need we say more? Good food is the fastest way to an employee’s heart.

Mind the little things

They say that employees don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. It’s often the little ways in which you recognize your staff that have a big impact on their loyalty to your company. Sometimes simply saying, “thank you for getting that report in on time,” or “good job on landing that sale,” is all the recognition they need to feel valued and appreciated.

You can’t buy love

Sure, money is an important motivator for job satisfaction and happiness. But employers who treat it as the only motivator will likely lose a good chunk of their workforce to companies who also offer flexible work hours, paid time off, or commuting options to their employees.

Many companies pull out all the bells and whistles to attract top talent to their door, but often forget to keep the spark going once their new hire joins the team. Keeping your workforce happy and fulfilled at all times means they’ll be more likely to stay put should another employer approach them with a tempting job offer.