Many companies are struggling to retain employees. Some estimate that, on average, it costs 2 to 3 times as much money to find and train a new employee as it does to keep an existing one. It’s important for HR leaders in the workspace with high turnover rates and low retention rates to take steps now which will help them improve their employee retention.
HR leaders have many tools at their disposal, some more obvious than others, which enable them to positively impact employee retention rates by influencing both the company culture and individual experiences of employees within the organization. By doing so these professionals can create a culture where people want not only to work but also stay with the company for years or decades rather than just months or years. This article will provide tips for how HR leaders can improve employee retention.
Provide Clarity on Organizational and Individual Goals
A detailed sense of direction in daily tasks helps employees focus and remain engaged at work. And engagement in itself is a crucial component for an effective employee retention strategy. HR leaders should help employees find that clarity in their everyday routine.
Organizations should establish guidelines and goals with their employees, whether it is for the day or for a specific project. Furthermore, HR leaders can address clarity of roles and expectations by providing training and development opportunities to help ensure that all employees feel they are growing within their position; this enables them to see value in their time with the company and inspire them to want to stay with the organization.
Implement Continuous Performance Feedback
In order to improve employee retention rates, it is crucial to implement a thorough system of performance feedback. This helps employees continuously add value and feel satisfied, contributing to the success of their team, company, and themselves. The focus on continuous feedback should start from an individual’s first day at work, where HR leaders can ensure that managers have the tools and resources needed to help people understand their tasks and areas for improvement. Using HRIS can help leaders manage that aspect. This will help keep employees engaged with the company, feeling responsible for their own progress, while developing new skills that can increase their value within the organization.
Another element of performance feedback is to make sure managers are not only asking for input from employees but also listening; this way they can make any adjustments needed to improve employees’ satisfaction with their jobs. By encouraging open communication, HR leaders can decrease the number of stress employees face, which contributes to increased job satisfaction and reduced turnover rates.
Focus on Strategies for Organizational Success
An effective employee retention strategy should involve an employer’s employees and address their concerns, ideas, and opinions about their own professional development. It is also essential that HR leaders understand what motivates employees and create incentives that allow people within the company to be inspired by a sense of purpose. HR leaders need to have the organizational skills and the ability to identify common threads within an organization’s workforce so that they can build on them for success. For example, if employees consistently seek out feedback from managers, then this iterative process should be encouraged by HR leaders through structured evaluation processes or informal daily interactions.
Create Opportunities for Professional Development
An organization’s culture should inspire people to want to stay with the company. Create this environment by providing opportunities for employees to develop themselves both personally and professionally; these might include learning opportunities (e.g., mentoring), skill development, social events (e.g., team building), etc. By doing so, employees can stay motivated, increasing their satisfaction with the company.
Another way to help build professional development opportunities is to offer both formal and informal coaching programs to employees at all levels of an organization; this depends on each individual’s needs within a given time frame. Furthermore, providing feedback for managers sets expectations for how employees should be managed while helping individuals determine whether or not they should continue to invest their time and energy in a particular position.
Create an Engaging Work Environment
Offering free food, casual dress days, and flexible hours are easy ways to make an organization more appealing. However, HR leaders should also look beyond these basic perks and create meaningful engagement opportunities to boost productivity. Additionally, creating a supportive work culture by offering feedback and communicating honestly helps employees remain motivated and feel valued within the company.
HR leaders should also offer opportunities for employees to find a sense of purpose in their work, whether this means being able to help customers, having a positive impact on the environment, or building up to something from nothing. It is important that employees see how they fit into the big picture in order to feel more engaged in their work and excited about what differentiates a company from the competition.
Stick With Remote Work Options
As more companies are turning to remote work options, HR leaders should make sure that this is an option for everyone. Not only does it allow people the flexibility to manage their time in a way that is most efficient for them, but working outside of the office also gives employees another sense of autonomy, which can help boost job satisfaction and decrease turnover rates.
HR leaders should also encourage employees to use the same policies and procedures that are used in their physical locations for remote work options, such as having a clearly defined procedure for what happens when people are on vacation or need time off. Furthermore, by giving employees the opportunity to easily share documents with each other remotely (e.g. through Google Drive). HR leaders can encourage collaboration outside of the office and keep people working as a team even when they are not in the same place.
Be Competitive With Compensation Packages
While it may seem counterintuitive to use compensation packages as a way to increase employee retention, offering competitive benefits can help set an organization apart from the competition. By making sure that all employees are receiving adequate salaries and have access to top health care plans, HR leaders can ensure that employees feel valued within their company while also providing incentives for people to stay instead of looking for a new job.
Even though it may not always be possible to offer the same benefits as smaller companies, HR leaders can still have an impact on employee retention by making sure employees at all levels are being compensated adequately and have access to the same top-of-the-line opportunities.
In today’s ever-changing world, it is essential for organizations to have the ability to provide employees with new opportunities and ways to learn. By creating a culture that supports learning and development, HR leaders can instill a sense of security in employees and reduce turnover rates.
If you would like assistance of an experience local commercial real estate agent, we have some of the best available to assist you. Contact us today to find out more. No obligation to request information.