Finding the right person to fill a job can be a challenging task. Keeping your best performers can be just as challenging.

And in an age when the workplace is being shaped to accommodate the needs and workstyles of millennials – those born generally between 1980 and 2000 – employers continually seek creative ways to keep their people, especially their best people.

While a competitive pay and benefits package can help, sometimes it's the simple things that can endear an employee to his or her employer.

That's what global services company Appirio, based in Indianapolis, found in a recent survey of more than 650 technology industry workers. According to the results, compensation is not the chief driving factor in employee satisfaction. Rather, 55 percent of respondents said they value a simple "thank you" from a manager for a job well done on a project, while only 8 percent said they would feel disappointed if the same project didn't lead to a cash reward.

Businesses aren't blind to the importance of employee retention. Data from jobs and company-review website Glassdoor say that 66 percent of human resources respondents to a Deloitte survey conducted in 2015 said they were updating their engagement and retention strategies.

Here are three recent articles that address employee retention and offer advice on how to keep your best performers:

FORBES: Getting personal

Larry Alton, a Forbes contributor who writes about changes to the American workplace, outlines six strategies that focus on employees' freedom and personal development.

BENEFITS PRO: How a private exchange helped keep talent at resort

After her company launched a private exchange that helped employees navigate benefits options, a human resources professional outlines four ways to get it done and help improve employee retention.

PLASTICS NEWS: The lasting effect of a good start for a new employee

Employee recruiter David Peterson says onboarding of new employees, done correctly, can drive loyalty and productivity, as well as retention.