People are the lifeblood of any organisation. Keeping them engaged and motivated is critical to long-term success as their performance directly effects customer service, and ultimately revenue. The longer a good employee works with you, the more valuable they become. Replacing employees costs time and money too, so staff retention is imperative.
Having active retention strategies can mitigate the risk of employees moving on. Here are some to consider:
Hire 80% of the job description / responsibilities
Most employees look for opportunities where they can learn. If you hire skills that complement the existing ones within your
team, they can support and learn off each other.
Offer personal training and development, not simply salary
This one’s pretty self-explanatory: employees want to grow and develop so make sure to offer those opportunities. The outcomes will benefit all parties.
Provide a defined career path
There’s a common theme here, staff want to know they can grow, develop and increase their earning capacity. Clear direction helps them establish goals and keeps them focused.
Responsibility
Give your staff the autonomy to deliver. Empowerment is highly motivating and leads to a great sense of achievement and
job satisfaction.
Celebrate the small wins
Regularly acknowledge individual and team achievements. Staff thrive on recognition, which doesn’t have to be financially
significant - just genuinely recognised and obviously valued.
Flexibility
In case you’ve forgotten, we work to live! Personal lives are becoming more demanding, and people are spending ever more time commuting. If you don’t offer some form of flexible working you immediately halve your candidate pool.
Clear communication and delivery
Make sure your employees know what’s expected of them. And whatever you do, don’t let them find out about decisions that directly impact them through others. Change can be unsettling, so how you deliver future plans is crucial. Conduct regular reviews to gauge employee engagement and address any queries, concerns or positive reinforcements early doors.
Lead from the front
It’s simple, don’t demand respect until you have earned it! Act how you expect to be treated.
Employ those that align with your brand and values
Evaluate intrinsic motivations that match your organisation and you’re off to a flying start!
The Digital Bakery can help with strategies around staff retention, and work them in to the mix from day one. So it’s worth getting in touch before you even need a new employee!