The culture of the work environment is ever-changing and both employees and employers have moved away from long-term commitments. According to the Work Institute in Tennessee, the majority of the employee turnover are preventable by employers. This means that in order to retain employees, employers have to create attractive work environments that keep their employees happy. What can employers do to turn potential short-term employees into long-term employees? Here are 8 ways to make your company more competitive in employee retention.
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Offer Incentives
There’s a lot more to employment than just a paycheck. In fact, employees say that pay rate is just one of many factors that play into their decision to accept or stay in a position. Other employee perks, like rewards for meeting established goals, casual Fridays, flexible schedules, the ability to work from home, and free coffee keep employees engaged and feeling valued by their employer. Fun company outings, like a company-paid lunch at a nearby restaurant, give employees something to look forward to and can greatly improve morale. Offering incentives outside of pay raises can help decrease your company’s overall spending while keeping your employees happy and motivated.
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Care for the Whole Person
Of course, work is important, but the best employees have a healthy work-life balance. Encourage employees to take breaks, schedule vacations, and take holidays off to spend with loved ones. Celebrate individual personal achievements, like running a marathon, or milestones, like getting married or buying a house.
To improve their work-life balance, give your employees as much autonomy as possible. When people feel like they have control over their work, they tend to be happier, work well with management, and are better able to separate work and home issues. This leads to motivated employees who get along well with their co-workers and managers.
Value employees as whole people, and not only are they more likely to love their jobs, their productivity at work increases. A win-win!
Related: How To Make Your Employee Stay With Your Company for A Long Time
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Physical Comfort
Being physically uncomfortable at work directly impacts employees’ productivity and employee retention. Are your employees comfortable in their workspaces? Take these types of complaints seriously! Do the desks have adjustable height so employees can sit comfortably? Do their chairs offer enough back and ergonomic support? Does the office get enough natural light? What about office temperature and air quality?
HVAC maintenance is crucial in maintaining a comfortable work environment by regulating office temperature, humidity, and air quality. Schedule routine cleaning to prevent the buildup of dust and debris, which can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria growth.
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Lead by Example
Be a role model for the kind of positivity you would like to see from your staff members. Small, genuine acts of kindness can go a long way! Smile at employees, express gratitude whenever you have the opportunity, hold doors open, and jump in to help in times of stress. Employees respect managers who are willing to get their own hands dirty if there’s a need.
Try to give all your employees the same level of appreciation by acknowledging them and recognizing their accomplishments. Don’t underestimate the importance of making everyone in the office feel equally valued and important.
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Offer Benefits Beyond the Basics
Supplement your employees’ salaries by offering perks and benefits beyond health insurance and retirement benefits. For example, you could also provide gym memberships, earned time off, and transit benefits. Meal plans and child care assistance are also appreciated by employees as these types of benefits directly impact their work-life balance.
By providing these extras, you’re letting your employees know that you value them and their families and care about their wellbeing.
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Provide Childcare Assistance
Onsite childcare is a benefit greatly appreciated by many parents because it takes much of the stress out of finding someone to care for their children. By employing high-quality, trusted providers to care for the children of your employees, you’ll give them peace of mind and assurance that their kids are well taken care of. The added benefit of getting to visit their children during the day could prove invaluable for some parents. Since parents still pay tuition and are less likely to take time off due to childcare issues, onsite childcare often pays for itself within a few years.
If providing onsite childcare isn’t feasible for your company, try to supply parents with a little additional flexibility. Giving parents the ability to pick a sick child up from school and occasionally have lunch with their kids is a meaningful benefit for many. Additionally, providing flexible working hours for those who have to drop off and pick up kids from school can go a long way.
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Notice Your Senior Employees
A huge segment of the workforce is over 50, and these highly-skilled, experienced workers have unique issues. One of the most positive aspects of providing this age group with their preferred benefits is that almost everyone who works for your company will find those benefits helpful. In other words, most of the benefits your senior staff members will appreciate the most are valuable to all employees regardless of their ages.
To keep your 50-plus employees happy, provide good health insurance, even to part-time employees. Ask them what they value most in health and life insurance policies and do your best to provide it. Wellness benefits, such as providing healthy snacks at the office and discounted gym memberships, are attractive benefits to many people in this age group. Like their younger co-workers, senior employees also value flexible working schedules that allow them to take time off to visit grandchildren, attend doctor’s appointments, and take vacations.
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Ask for Feedback
When in doubt, ask for feedback. Every employee, from entry-level to upper management, has unique knowledge and perspective on the business and their role within it. Treat employees as sources of highly valuable information! Ask employees for their opinions in various formats. Complete employee engagement surveys to collect as much data as possible and guarantee employees’ responses will remain anonymous. Participate in mutual evaluations, take feedback from all employees seriously, and implement changes based on the information being collected.
Make sure your employees are happy and increase employee retention by being attentive to a few key areas. Create a positive work environment by offering incentives, caring for employees as people, keeping the work space comfortable, setting a positive example, and soliciting feedback. Focusing on addressing and improving these areas will help make each employee a happy and successful long-term employee!
