Finding the right employees for your business is just the first step in managing your staff. Once you’ve found your employees, you also have to make sure you keep them.
It’s not as common as it once was for employees to stick with the same company for decades of their lives. They’re now much more willing to move on to a new employer if it means more opportunities, better pay, or a better fit for their lifestyle. Some employers can find that employee churn is high in their company because no one really sticks around for long. This can be by design, but if you want your employees to stick around, you need to make an effort to get them to stay.
Offer Competitive Pay
Pay is one of the very first things people are going to look at when they’re trying to find their next job. They can be as passionate about a role as it’s possible to be, but that doesn’t mean anything if they can’t pay their bills. There’s no denying that it’s a priority, so it’s not something you can ignore. Offering competitive pay is one of the best ways to attract the people you want. But it’s also important to be clear about what you’re willing to pay. Simply listing the pay as competitive in your job advert isn’t giving anyone enough information.
But how do you know if you’re paying a competitive wage? You need to research what your competitors are offering and what your potential employees see as a good level of pay. Whether you will be paying by the hour or offering a salaried position, you need to consider the demand for the skills and experience you need and the expected compensation.
Go Beyond Basic Benefits
The benefits you offer are also part of the compensation package you offer to your employees. If you’re providing additional benefits, you might need to think beyond the most basic options to offer more. For example, in many roles, your employees are going to expect that you provide them with medical insurance. When this is an expectation, it won’t really be seen as much of a benefit compared to other options that are available. You might need to consider what other options you can extend to your employees, whether it’s other types of insurance coverage or something like a gym membership.
Train New and Existing Employers
Employee training is essential if you want to create the best employees possible, as well as give them a reason to stick around. But it’s something that a lot of employers can neglect, even with new employees. Training new members of staff helps to ensure they know what they should be doing and what their responsibilities are. Even if they have experience in a similar role, they still need to know how you do things because it could be different. But training doesn’t end with new staff. Existing staff should have ongoing training too, for a number of reasons. It keeps their skills and knowledge up to date, and it also keeps them engaged. It shows that you care about their development and won’t just let them stagnate.
Be Flexible
Flexible working is one of the benefits that are most sought after. Flexible hours allow people to plan their work and personal life together. As well as benefiting your employees, it benefits you because it helps to prevent their personal lives from interfering with their work. Being a flexible employer might include allowing your employees to start and finish work at times that suit them (as long as they work their required hours). You can be flexible about taking time off, especially for important things like doctor’s appointments or other personal commitments. This shows that you trust your employees to manage their own time and get their work done.
Support Your Employees’ Health and Wellness
When your employees are dealing with personal problems, it makes it hard for them to feel satisfied at work. Their job may also contribute to their problems, causing them more stress on top of whatever else they might be dealing with. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to address this and provide them with the support that they need. While you can’t be completely responsible for their health and wellness, you can offer them resources to help them care for themselves. Giving your employees access to chaplain services is one option that you might consider. It provides them with someone to talk to when they’re looking for advice or support. An employee assistance program might be another option to help your staff get the help they need.
Provide Opportunities for Personal Development
One of the reasons people might choose to move on to a new employer is that they feel there’s no way to grow with their current one. They don’t have any opportunities to advance or to gain new skills, so they feel stagnant. This causes them to seek employment elsewhere so they can experience something new and have a higher chance of being able to grow their careers. If you want your employees to stay with you for longer, you need to take an interest in their personal development. This could include giving them a budget to spend on their education and training. It could mean allowing them to use their work time effectively to learn new things.
Let Employees Have Their Say
Your employees want to feel like their opinions are valued. They don’t want to just turn up to work each day and follow instructions. If they have something to say, they like to know that they’re being listened to. Creating a workplace culture where employees can speak up can encourage them to be more engaged and more willing to stay with you. It’s important to make sure your employees can have their say without receiving any negative consequences. As well as encouraging them to speak in meetings or at various points throughout their day, you could also offer anonymous ways for them to contribute their opinions.
Show Your Appreciation
Feeling underappreciated is a big reason for many employees to leave their current employer and go elsewhere. Even if they feel that their pay and other benefits are adequate, no one wants to work hard all day but then never receive a thank-you or an acknowledgement of their hard work. There are plenty of different ways you can show your appreciation for your employees. You might give them bonuses, recognize their birthdays, and celebrate their achievements. Even making it a habit to regularly thank your employees for their work can make a big difference in how they feel about their jobs.
Avoid Micromanaging
Poor management is another reason that’s often given for employees leaving their roles. It’s difficult to work under management who you feel are not managing you properly. Bad management could mean many things, but one thing that many people don’t appreciate is micromanaging. Having someone constantly watching over them and dictating their every move isn’t enjoyable. Most people can be trusted to get on with their work once they know what they have to do. And if they need help, they can ask for it. Avoiding micromanaging not only helps to increase productivity but can encourage your employees to stick around and enjoy working independently.
Make Use of Data
There are lots of ways to use data today that will help you to understand your employees better. You can use employee data to find out which employees might be dissatisfied and why, and the best ways you can get them to stay. You can even find out when employees might be most likely to leave and why that is so that you can make changes that prevent people from leaving. AI tools can help you to collect the data you need about your employees. There are various types of data you can use to learn more about your employees.
Keep Up with What Employees Want
What employees are looking for from their jobs changes over time. Even in the last few years, we’ve seen a shift in what people expect from their employers. If you don’t keep up with general expectations, you can soon find that you’re struggling to find the right people to hire. Rather than blame it on people not wanting to work at all, you need to examine why they might not want to work for you. Keeping up with employment trends is a must.
Be Prepared for People to Leave
It’s important to recognize that sometimes employees will want to leave, and sometimes they will go through with it too. In some cases, you might be able to tempt them to stay with a higher salary or other attractive benefits. But you may also need to be prepared for them to leave and ready to replace them with someone else. Smart succession planning and proactive recruitment can help to ensure you always have the talent that you need.
Once you’ve found the right employees, getting them to stay is paramount. You can save a lot of money and create a better workplace by reducing turnover.
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