Acquiring the right talent for your business is a challenge in itself; retaining said talent can often be even more difficult. In a crowded employment market, there are numerous potential employees looking for the right opportunity – and that means more than just a good salary.
1. Appeal to millennials
Millennials are entering and dominating the workplace, and they demand more than previous generations – to attract them to your business, you need to give into those demands.
“Millennial employees expect flexibility and a more engaging work environment” The Modern Workplace 2018: People, Places & Technology Report
For this generation, the focus is on how their work (and workplace) makes them feel – they’re not looking for a 9-5 grind, but rather a sense of purpose and some added perks. Millennials are said to be more likely to look for competitive opportunities elsewhere if unhappy (blame the precarious nature of the workplace post 2008 financial crash, when older millennials were beginning their careers).
2. Offer flexibility
Flexibility is the holy grail of the modern workplace for many employees. People want to achieve that coveted work/life balance, and with the constant demands of our daily working (and personal) lives, flexibility seems to be the easiest way to reach that goal.
7 per cent of businesses surveyed in the report offered no form of flexible working, so perhaps business leaders are beginning to realise just what an asset flexibility can be.
From remote working to rise of agile working, offering employees choice, making them feel empowered and trusting them to take charge of their responsibilities can lead to a much happier workforce.
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3. Make meetings work
A common workplace complaint is the state of the modern meeting, and meeting room. Just 47 per cent of the businesses surveyed offer the right meeting rooms for employees. Clearly, this is an area that can cause a lot of stress and friction for employees, and perhaps correcting it could lead to a more harmonious workplace (and more employee retention).
You might like to read How to organise a successful meeting in 6 simple steps.
It’s also advisable to cut down on unnecessary meetings – 16 per cent of business leaders surveyed stated that their organisations had too many meetings, and this could be off-putting and stressful for employees.
There is a lot that we can do to ensure we acquire and retain the best talent; and starting with these three steps could be the boost your company needs.