4 Easy Steps to Optimize Staff Retention
We recently hosted a salary-related survey, and our results were enlightening. It uncovered some interesting trends within the marketing sector, including the fact that two third of marketers wants to leave their current job.
Marketing is a competitive industry, so it is understandable that a lot of those who work in the sector want to advance themselves by moving on, and climbing the career ladder. However, the fact that 6.8 of 10 respondents were so unsatisfied in their current position made us feel uncomfortable.
Since so many people are thinking of leaving their current employers, we thought we should briefly cover the subject of staff retention. Regardless of the industry you are operating in, there is no doubt that constantly having to recruit new staff is disruptive, and often expensive. Therefore, anything you can do to encourage good people to continue to work for you, is worth doing.
Make sure that you thank your staff
A recent study carried out by Monster.co.uk (read it here), showed that people like to have their efforts recognized. Many are even prepared to carry on working for a company that values them, even if that means taking home a smaller pay check!
If someone is doing a good job, it is important to tell him or her so. Most businesses fall into the habit of only picking up people when they are falling behind. Of course, this is necessary for personal and knowledge growth, but it can make your staff feel insecure as they only receive negative reviews. There should be a balance with your feedback; give praise when you can!
Running a robust appraisal process will help you to do both. A package like the one sold by Cascade H R, has this feature built in, so it is well worth considering investing in this type of software.
Provide structured training
We mentioned earlier that many of the people who work in marketing are ambitious – which is a good thing because it means that they are willing to apply themselves and go above and beyond to make progress in their chosen career.
As an employer, you can tap into this natural wish to advance, and do better by providing your staff with the chance to master new skills. Putting together a structured training program is always a worthwhile investment. This is something that your human resources team can look after with the help of a modern HR software. Most packages now include a training module, which you can be used to set up a training regime for each employee, and monitor progress.
Nurture talent
Implementing a good appraisal system has the added benefit of allowing you to spot people with talent, at an early stage. When you see that someone is particularly good at something, it makes sense to give him or her an opportunity to learn more about the subject. Providing each employee with an advanced training program that is tailored to them is easy using the right HR software package.
Engage your staff in preparing for the future
Last, but by no means least, is getting your staff involved in preparing for the future. Whenever you can, get members of your team involved in work groups to help you to implement new processes and assess new business opportunities. There’s many benefits to getting your staff involved in your business planning.
Like mentioned before, all your staff wants is to be valued – and that weights more than their pay check! Getting your staff involved in executive planning and decision making gives them a sense of belonging and shows them that their opinion is valued by the business and the boss. Engaging your staff in this also enables them to aquire new skills and learn more in depth about your business and values, all while encouraging them to stick around and see the changes you are planning through.