At some companies I've worked for, employee retention only becomes a priority when someone threatens to leave. This will cost your company money in the long run. In fact the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh, has estimated that his own bad hires have cost the company well over $100 million! Here are 5 things you can do to make sure they don't leave from Lynn Taylor, workplace expert and author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How To Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job."

Show respect for your employees.

"When you treat your team professionally and with dignity, they have a reason to deliver their best work. This practice also engenders respect for you as a manager, so it's self-perpetuating." Even when employees love the work itself and are well paid, if they feel disrespected, they won't stay committed for long. 

Get out of their way

Assuming you've done your job hiring and training your employees and that you've given them the tools and the direction to do their job properly, then the single biggest thing any boss can do is get out of their employees' way and stop distracting or de-motivating them, says Kerr. "Ask them not just what their 'on switches' are but also what turns them off at work. Office politics, onerous bureaucracy, and micromanaging managers are just a few of the factors that will get in the way of your top performers staying engaged."

Show emotional intelligence

Being empathetic, supportive, friendly, respectful, and courteous are some of the ingredients of a high EQ, Taylor explains. "The fastest growth companies in America place emphasis on having 'people smarts.' You can have the best technical skills on the planet, but if you condone an insensitive, disruptive, or self-centered work culture, be prepared for a revolving door.

While you don't need to be fully aware of your employees' personal lives, showing you care as a fellow human being will go a long way towards keeping your talent under your roof."

Ask them, 'What can we do to make you happy/make you want to stay here?'

Be proactive and hold real conversations around what's working and what's not working for employees on a regular basis, Kerr suggests. Ask them what you or the company can do to keep them feeling excited about coming to work every day.

Be consistent

When your employees understand what it takes to succeed, and those goals are constant — without surprises — you'll see optimal productivity, says Taylor. "When the rules change, become confusing or unfair, you lose support."

Want more? Get 30 additional things you can do to retain your top talent from Business Insider.