The workplace certainly isn't your "daddy's Oldsmobile" anymore, meaning the trend in which workers worked for the same company more than 20 years is just not as common as it used to be. Partly, there are simply more job opportunities than in past. Another reason—people are more transient in where they live.

In MetLife's survey of employee benefits, employee loyalty is at a seven-year low. One in three employees, the survey says, plans to leave his or her job by the end of the year. Other studies show that each year, the average company loses anywhere from 20 percent to 50 percent of its employee base.

Can long-term loyalty make a comeback? It probably depends on the quality of workers and quality of the workplace. Yesterday and today, Promotional Consultant Today shares these tips on how to improve employee loyalty from award-winning business author Geoffrey James.

1. Give employees more control. As James states, "Fifty years ago, the key management concept was 'delegate.' Twenty-five years ago, it was 'empowerment.' Today, it's 'engagement.' All three buzzwords mean the same thing: managers should cede control to employees."

This means giving employees more say into the organization. Get employees involved in designing value-added benefits, such as flex hours. Allow employees to make decisions on things that have a cultural impact on the company, such as choosing community service groups to support. The more engaged the employees, the lower the turnover rate.

2. Remove unnecessary uncertainty. There is a lot to worry about in the world today. An unstable economy. Global dynamics and threats. More competition than ever before. An easy way to lose an employee is to not keep the employee informed. Any employee that feels "in the dark" is disengaged. Create a sense of engagement through transparency, suggests James. This means keeping the employee informed on company goals, company progress and, yes, also company setbacks. The news might not always be positive, but to feel a sense of ownership, the employees must be a part of the progress—in good times and bad.

As James says, "While no single company can fix an uncertain economy, a company can make work more predictable simply by keeping its employees briefed and giving advance warning when changes are imminent."

3. Jettison the jerks. Don't put up with negativity in the workplace. Unfortunately, bullies can make their way into any company. It's how the company deals with them that is key to keeping employees. One tyrant or verbally abusive person can create enough toxicity for an entire department to walk out. It creates enough stress that employees don't feel like the job is worth putting up with it. Create a policy of respect in an organization and don't reward bad behavior for the sake of politics.

4. Publicize your talent brand. Last but not least, James says another way to build employee loyalty is to show your employees off. Showcase the talent that is behind your team. "Companies that have impressive talent brands attract and retain talent more easily," says James. For example, when you think of Southwest Airlines, you think of the people that work there.

Try these tips on building loyalty in your organization and feel the impact to your bottom line.

Source: Geoffrey James is a professional speaker, business author and award-winning blogger. His blog, Sales Source, appears daily on Inc.com.