What You Can Do To Attract and Retain Staff

Many companies have a common problem and that is the ability to attract and retain staff. Every company has the same goal and that is to be successful and to make a profit. This is not possible without the right employees, but how do you get those employees and keep them for the long term? Here are ten tips to help you to attract the right staff and keep them:

1. The most important thing you can do is offer an attractive and competitive compensation and benefit package. The number one reason that people leave their current job is that they have an offer elsewhere for more money or better benefits. While some companies cannot afford to offer a lot of money, it is important to remember that each employee that starts and then leaves costs the company money in time and resources to get them up to speed on the job. It may seem expensive to retain staff, but in the long run it is saving the company a lot of money.
2. Have your management staff treat your employees with respect and dignity. Too often companies are quick to promote staff with the right skills to management positions, but they lack people skills. Provide those managers with the right management training so that they develop the right skills to deal with people the right way. It is important to have an excellent management team that is constantly being educated. Many managers are left to their own devices and they take that opportunity to bully staff which can lead to good employees leaving your company.
3. Understand the needs of your employees and fill those needs where possible. Employees want to do work that is meaningful and they want to take pride in the work that they do, and in their workplace. If your company’s image is not that good, people will not want to work there.
4. Allow employees to have some control over their own job and practice autonomy. Your employees are not children and once they understand what is expected of them, they should be given the freedom to get the work done as they see fit.
5. Workplaces that offer a sense of community are more desirable places to work and are better able to retain staff. When people feel like they belong somewhere they are more likely to stay at a job for the long term. If an employee is treated like a “number” then they do not feel loyalty or dedication to a job and tend to move on when they find something better.
6. When an employee does something well, it is important to reward them and express sincere appreciation to them for the work that they have done. Work that has been done should be attributed to the person who did the work, even if the finished product is attributed to someone else. For example, if an employee did all of the legwork on a project to get it off the ground but the final report was under a different person’s name, then everyone should be commended on working together as a team to get that report completed. There is nothing worse in an employee’s view than working hard on something and receiving no recognition for it.
7. Everyone wants to know that there is room to grow in a job. No one wants to work in the same position day in and day out for decades into the future with no opportunity to advance to a higher paying role or something with more responsibility. Make certain that employees can advance in your company and recognize those who deserve that chance for advancement. If you want to retain staff, invest in them by educating them with the courses that they need to advance to higher paying positions in your company. After all, you are retaining great employees in your workplace and investing in your company’s future.
8. Be flexible when it comes to your employee’s needs. When it comes to work and family, the balancing act can be too much for some people. The more flexible that you are, the more people will be attracted to your company and the better your ability to retain staff.
9. Have regular meetings when it comes to current projects. Allow everyone who wants to have a say to speak at the meeting (while still keeping with your time schedule for the meeting). When employees have some input and influence and the opportunity to make a difference, they are just more content.
10. Offer incentives for a job well done. This does not have to be a cash reward; many other things can be done that are appreciated by employees, including low cost but high impact awards. Have an employee’s car detailed, have their home cleaned, send them and their spouse out for dinner, provide them with a day off with pay. The sky is the limit and these kinds of incentives are much more thoughtful and memorable than cash.

Never under estimate the value of all of the “perks” that you offer to your employees. Sometimes this can be much more valuable to employees than monetary compensation. This means that if you can’t afford to pay your employees more, you can offer them some creative things that they won’t find at other companies.

When employees plan to leave your company, they are generally required to give you notice that they will be leaving. Take this opportunity to conduct an “exit interview” and ask them what you could to do to motivate them to stay with your company.

It is true that you cannot make all of your employees happy all of the time, but if there is something small that can be changed, you have the power to make it happen and retain staff for your company.

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Source:  http://www.humannatureatwork.com/articles/employee_retention/TalentMagnet-2.htm