With the recovery building up a head of steam, employees may start to feel more confident about changing jobs. The key to any successful business is to retain the key staff and maintain morale. Amanda menahem. HR Director of Hastings Direct, gives her tips on avoiding the nightmare of losing valuable members of the team.
The news on employment, released in mid-July, was certainly welcome. In the three months to May 2014, the proportion of people aged 16 to 64 in work reached 73.1 per cent, up 0.5 points on the previous quarter, matching the UK’s highest recorded employment rate.
It is fantastic news for the economy, the Government and job-seekers, but the trend also throws up some challenges for employers. When people feel confident about their chances of getting a better job, it becomes harder to keep the staff who are so vital to the business. So how can you ensure you keep the turnover of staff to a minimum?
We’ve all the heard the line that people leave bosses not companies and in my experience this is absolutely true. Of course its easy to think its all about money, but providing you pay people at a fair market rate, increasing pay further is rarely a solution to keeping people if other factors in the workplace aren’t right. Here are my top tips for all you bosses out there….
1. Make your people feel important.
As human beings we all like to feel important and valued. The way you do this as a boss is by showing genuine interest. You should know the names of your team members children, partners, know what they did at the weekend etc and show genuine care for their well-being. This also means being flexible and showing trust. Assume the best of your people.
2. Say thank you.
One of the most valuable rewards costs nothing at all. A simple ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’ can work wonders. Of course, it isn’t quite as straightforward as plying your employees with endless platitudes.
