You may have only a few employees, or you might have a lot. Whatever the number of how many people make up your company they all play a critical role in the success of your business. Concerning however, are recent trends indicating how many employees are looking to leave the current positions they have now. It is being consistently shown in surveys like the one conducted recently by The Achievers Workforce Institute that 52-69 percent or more of employed adults are looking for a new job, up from 35 percent a year ago. Thus, a critical question you must ask yourself as a business owner is “how do I retain the employees I have?”.
The key step to understanding how to retain your employees during this period of large turnover rates is to understand why employees are leaving. “Burnout and lack of work/life balance” are sited as two of the top reasons people are leaving in waves from their current jobs, in addition to financial compensation which still ranks as the top reason employees leave. A poll from Eagle Hill Consulting, a Washington D.C. based management consulting firm, reveals this exact issue. It states that 57% of U.S. employees say they feel burnt out. In addition, 1 in 4 employees say that the lack of work/life balance leaves them feeling stressed and that leaving is often viewed as the best and only option by an employee to address their own burnout.
So, what can you do to avoid your staff feeling this way too?
Check In With Your Staff
Ask how they are doing and how they feel. Encourage them that the conversation is a safe space to talk about how they are coping and if they feel they have a good sense of work/life balance. Reassure them that these conversations are not part of an annual review process, but rather a “pandemic check-in” because you care as much about their happiness as you do about the success of your business.
Support Their Concerns If They Bring Up Any
It’s ok to remind them that you can’t change everything about their job role, but if there are small things that you can change you should try.
Give Back
A little can go a long way in addressing burnout. Giving an extra personal day off during your quiet season or allowing a rotation where one employee gets to leave at 1pm on a Friday each month will mean the world to them. Offer to buy them lunch occasionally or get creative and do something fun like a fishing trip or organize a car wash in your corporate parking lot while your employees work so they leave for home in a shiny, fresh vehicle. And if you can give small salary or hourly bonuses, it will always be appreciated. There is nothing worse than exhausted, burnt-out employee hearing how busy and great the company is doing, yet they haven’t had a pay increase or additional vacation days added to their employment package in years.
Be As Flexible As You Can
Obviously, many job positions are not able to work remotely and still accomplish their tasks. This is especially true of essential workers, of which outdoor landscaping and contractors fell into this category during the COVID-19 pandemic. But some of your office employees may be able to work from home with the right technologies in place with software that forwards landline calls to cell phones, or access to work files via a remote network. It is critical however, if you let employees work remotely that you acknowledge how productive they are there based upon the output of their work. Most remote employees during the pandemic (69%) felt nervous that their employer thought when they were working from home that they weren’t as productive, and that simply isn’t true. Employees want to feel trusted and valued even when everyone is spread out over different locations. On the flip side, if employees need/want to work in-person you should continue to reassure them you are doing everything to keep them feeling safe during this unprecedented time. And if your team used to start at 7:00am every day but now an employee (due to childcare issues) can’t arrive until 7:30am, reassure them that you will find a way to support their needs. This may seem frustrating at first but losing a valuable employee and going through the process of replacing them will be even more frustrating and effect your business in the long run.
Be Honest With Your Customers
Your employees will feel you have their back, and your customers will appreciate that you are a company that looks out for your people. You can say supportive statements such as, “In an effort to support our amazing hardworking staff, it may take a little longer for someone to return your call if it is after 1pm on a Friday. But your business is important to us, and rest assured you will hear from someone in a timely manner. If this is an emergency, please reach out to a manager.”
Make Sure Employees Feel Recognized and Appreciated
71% of employees surveyed said they feel disengaged from their company. Planning a car wash or a lunch won’t fix this problem. Feeling engaged with your employer and the work you do comes mostly from feeling appreciated. Even if the work someone does is the same every day, find a way to compliment and connect with them about their work. Build a company culture around recognition, so it feels genuine and not sporadic. According to The Achievers Workforce Institute focus on these five pillars of recognition:
- Frequent: Recognition should occur at least monthly
- Public: Recognition should be shared with the team or company
- Timely: Recognition should occur shortly after the event being recognized
- Specific: Recognition should detail why it’s deserved
- Values-based: Recognition should support company values
Above all else, create a company culture where people are happy and couldn’t imagine wanting to work anywhere else! Forbes Magazine sites in their July 2021 article titled “Employee or Customer: A New World of Employee Retention” that at its core creating a culture-focused workplace is about “the practice of treating employees like customers, ensuring that they’re both fulfilled and valued, especially when a post-pandemic gig economy has created more flexible options than ever.” Respect and value your employees, and in turn they will work for you for a very long time despite the ups and downs going on around them.
Remember to focus as much of your efforts on not losing your amazing staff as you would be about not losing the clients for which your team serves.
Finally
Whether it’s questions retaining employees, hiring, or business support, rely on central to help! We’re the right partner for your business and we’re ready to help you grow!