Keeping Mr/Ms/Mrs Right

We recently looked at how to find the right person for a role. But once you’ve found them, how do you make sure you keep them?

It’s all about making sure they know the grass is greener where they are – that the benefits of staying with an organisation outweigh the lure of the unknown.

As expected, pay plays a significant role with regard to both recruitment and retention – reinforcing the need to make sure that salaries remain competitive to both attract and keep employees. This is slightly less prevalent in the voluntary and charity sectors, where workers are more likely to be influenced by the nature of their work.

But what else can you do to make sure that your employees know what side their bread is buttered on…

–       Location – your business can’t be based everywhere, but taking a flexible approach to how and where employees work can help you to both attract and keep top players without being bound by geography.

–       Interesting work – sounds obvious, but if employees are interested in what they are doing they are more likely to be engaged, which can result in happier, more productive people.

–       Career development opportunities – it goes without saying that we all need to feel like our work is valued, and it’s vital to recognise good performance. Failure to do so will just mean that your top performers go elsewhere.

–       Colleagues  – This is a very subjective one, as while some like to have a strong community feel at work, others prefer to keep their work and social life separate – the key is to respect everyone’s preferences, and cater for them as much as practicable. It also means taking a strong stance on things like bullying and other forms of unacceptable behaviour that could make individuals uncomfortable. More advice on dealing with these sort of issues is available on the TurnstoneHR website.

–       Work life balance – flexible working practices can result in employees feeling empowered, motivated, and happier as a result of not having to fit their life in before 9am and after 5pm. There is more on this too, on the TurnstoneHR website.

–       Benefits packages – Some employers offer flexible benefits, where employees can pick and choose from a set list of benefits according to their own personal requirements and subject to a set financial limit. Effective communication about the benefits package is also important in order to ensure that employees appreciate its value.

It’s important to bear in mind that all of the above factors will carry a different weight with different individuals. The key is to make sure that business owners and managers understand what is important to their teams, and that everyone is treated fairly and equitably.

For support with all stages of recruitment, retention, and performance management, including contract development and policies and procedures, contact TurnstoneHR on 01229 615 280 or email us at info@turnstonehr.com for a FREE consultation.