Finding good employees takes time and investment, so once you get the right people in your organisation, you really want to hold onto them.
Money may seem like the obvious lure in this respect, but this won’t always be possible, and in fact there are things that can mean a lot more to your staff. Here are some ideas to help you retain your star workforce.
Offer Incentives
As the saying goes, little things mean a lot, and outside of salary, bonuses and benefits, there is plenty that can go a long way to making employees feel content and valued. How about the odd duvet day, or an afternoon off? A fruit basket on a Friday, or a longer lunch break on a Monday? Use your imagination and see what you can come up with. The gift of time is often something that is much appreciated, and always remember that rested employees are productive employees.
Be Flexible
Employees value flexibility, it is a proven fact. Allowing home working, longer hours on one or more days a week that allow for a half day or day off and good old flexi-time where hours can be staggered to allow for getting the kids to school or starting the commute once the peak hours are over can go a long way to showing your appreciation of each staff member as an individual.
Provide a Sense of Purpose
The majority of people naturally seek out a purpose for their work and their life. If you feel that you are not really offering any benefits through your work, you can feel like there is little point in doing what you do. The feeling that you are contributing to a good cause makes your work and life feel worthwhile, so if you can give your staff a sense of feeling that they are really contributing towards something, it could make a remarkable difference to their motivation.
So how to do this? You need to give people a good reason to believe in your business. So for example you could promote the benefits of the work that you do and how it is appreciated; you could get involved in community or charity work and include your staff in your efforts, or adopt a positive environmental policy.
Always Listen
The final piece of advice is to always listen to what your employees have to say. Asking for input will, above anything else, make people feel valued. Ask for ideas about marketing the business, about how to get new customers and about how the company could run more efficiently. And don’t forget to ask them what they value from their employers!
If you need some help coming up with staff incentives, or working out how perks might affect your bottom line, speak to your bookkeepers for advice.