By: Ellie Cloverdale
Retaining staff has never been so difficult, particularly in such a strong economic climate. Yet the fact is, the new generation of workers feel empowered to leave their jobs in a way that their predecessors never did: the fear factor has gone. And the cost to a company of constantly retraining staff is astronomical. According to an SHRM Foundation study, hiring and training a new employee can cost somewhere between 6 to 9 months of the salary for that role. So, what can be done to create a great workplace that staff simply don’t want to leave?
Hire well in the first place
It is an often-overlooked fact, but perhaps the biggest cause of high-turnover in an organization is the failure to recruit the right people in the first place. Think about it. If an employee is hired who is simply does not possess the suitable skills for the job, it won’t be long before it comes to a head and the employee is either pushed, or walks. And then from another perspective is culture. Innovative companies have long-realized the importance of hiring employees that fit the culture of the organization. So, what does this mean?
According to Susan M. Heathfield, it requires the identification of an individual whose “belief and behaviour systems seem congruent with your organizational culture”. That makes sense. If your organization has core values, it is not difficult to ascertain at interview stage whether a candidate shares those values. One who doesn’t is clearly not a great fit for the business, so ensure that the interview process always factors in organizational values and culture when looking for new staff.
“Skills can be learned. A persons’s core believes and working culture cannot be changed anywhere near as easily, so always bear that in mind,” warns Gloria Samuel, an HR Manager at Academized and State of writing.
Create an open environment
This is an integral element of building a great working environment. Ask yourself, how freely can employees express their opinions at work? And this doesn’t just mean giving them the facility to voice and concerns or suggestions, it means actively implementing working practices which incorporate feedback openly.
Communication is an essential ingredient here, and it must always be two-way. But as well as being the responsibility on an organization to ensure an inclusive environment, the onus is on employees to also make it so. This comes back to the hiring process again, and seeking out individuals who match the values that you are promoting. But it is also about establishing boundaries and practices that all staff feel comfortable with in the workspace, and then ensuring policies and procedures are in place that are well-known to all in the case where an issue needs to be addressed.
“Employees must be free to come to work and be their true selves. Anything less is just not acceptable, and if they feel this is the case, quite simple, they will leave,” cautions Travis Berbnstein, a senior project manager at Paper Fellows and Big Assignments.
Ensure a stress-free and safe environment
The health risks to employees are not only tangible, they are eye-wateringly costly. According to Joel Gah, a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School, workplace stress accounts for 8% of national spending on health care, not to mention 120,000 deaths a year in the United States.
But what can actively be done to reduce stress and help employees feel safe and comfortable in their surroundings. It begins with good leadership: empathetic leaders can identify potential problem situations and prevent escalation. But the culture and systems of an organization must openly support the wellbeing of employees. This should be in the form or collaborative working practices and supportive policies in regards to sick leave, carers leave and so on, but then also in the physical nature of the workspace itself.
Just a quick list of factors which seriously affect the wellbeing of an employee in a workspace would be:
· Lighting
· Noise
· Ergonomic furniture
· Communal spaces
· Outdoor spaces
· Adaptable spaces
· Access to healthy food and drinks
· Quiet rooms
· A secure and safe environment
· Office location (especially in relation to an employee’s home)
This list is by no means exhaustive, but are all important considerations when looking to create the best possible workspace for employees.
Ellie Cloverdale works as a career and marketing blogger at Ukwritings.com and Essayroo.com. An avid rock climber, she enjoys researching North American lifestyle and work trends. Writing about digital nomad and flexible work arrangement, she also teaches writing skills at Boomessays.com.