We are all guilty of getting really intense back to work blues after the Christmas break. You’ve had 2 weeks with your family, eating and drinking your bodyweight in turkey and baileys, you feel sluggish and going back to work can be a real struggle.
But there are many practices you can adopt all year round to make sure that employee retention is high.
1. Hire for fit
If you put the right people in the right places, they will always feel satisfied with their job. If you hire the people who fit your company culture the best, they will always believe in your business and the trajectory it is on.
Use the job spec to make sure you’re attracting the right people. Our ‘improving your quality of hire’ blog explains how to do exactly that (as well as some extra tips). Don’t say we don’t treat you!
2. Employee benefits which blow your competitors out the water
Benefits are more than just a good salary and early finish Friday. Do some competitor analysis to see what they offer as this will give you a strong insight into how to stand out.
Are you able to offer a better holiday allowance? Do you have anything in place to support mental health and wellbeing? Do you have company socials so employees feel connected?
And as we are on the topic of retention – are you able to offer retention bonuses?
3. Progression
No one wants to be stuck in a job with no clear career development path. Having this gives your employees something to work towards and therefore keeps them motivated.
Offer training programmes which aren’t just a one-off thing. Many businesses are guilty of sticking employees on a course every now and again to look like they offer development, but let’s be honest – what does that really achieve? Manage the performance of your employees and put together suitable development plans for them. But remember, no two people are the same.
4. Keep your employees engaged
What’s the best way to do this I hear you ask? Acknowledgement. If your staff go above and beyond, make sure you thank and reward them. We’re only human and a bit of praise goes a long way – we all love a compliment don’t we.
If you don’t have an employee retention plan in place – now is the time. You don’t want employees adopting a ‘new year, new job’ approach.