The Top 6 Tools for Improving Employee Retention

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Employee retention has become more important than ever in this post-pandemic society, the great reshuffle showed companies that employees want flexibility, progression, and variety in a role, and will look elsewhere to get it. Now that there is an overwhelming shift in priorities for many people across the country, employers are finding that they are having to offer more to current and potential employees to keep them.

It is all well and good to make agreements and promises when hiring staff, but being able to keep to those (also ensuring as time goes on and needs change that you as an employer can accommodate those changes) is vital to keeping staff happy. We have listed some of the most important parts to think of when looking at employee retention:

1. Onboarding Process

There are many ways to ensure that your staff are happy and fulfilled within their role, even when all their career journeys are on different paths. To start on the right track, orientation, and onboarding of staff should be a supportive and structured process. Whether remotely or in person, this is the crucial first impression for not only the new member of staff but the organisation and you as a manager. The orientation process should be showing roles and responsibilities, but also company culture, ensuring that the process is a positive experience for the new employee, and they feel comfortable in approaching you – setting the level of trust and teamwork from the very beginning.

2. Well-Being

Staff wellbeing is a key part of any organisation's success, not just within staff retention. Ultimately, if your staff are not happy, neither will your clients be. There is a lot that can be done to ensure staff are supported within their role. Monitoring workload, hiring at the appropriate times, and encouraging team building amongst staff are ways you can ensure your current employees are feeling supported. More often than not, staff leaving can have such an impact on those who remain, leaving the workload doubling up and a cycle of not enough hands on deck, it’s difficult to onboard new staff when you are stretched too thin before you even start the process. Stress can have an immense effect on people, both professionally and personally – supporting your staff and recognising the signs of stress will ensure you can support appropriately and swiftly.

3. Open Conversations

Open conversations with staff are key to retention and wellbeing, set regular check-ins/catch-ups to see how they are doing, both professionally and personally. A lot of things can happen to suddenly change an employee's future plans, such as having a child or moving house and of course, you can only do as much as you can within your role to accommodate your staff's needs, but if there is a way you can offer more support to ensure they are happy, it is worth doing. Open conversations between management and staff work both ways, sharing feedback will be beneficial for both parties, staff will feel supported and listened to, and as management, you can learn and improve within your role. Trust between management and team is incredibly important, any agreed actions from these conversations are not to be taken lightly, as empty promises are not forgotten.

4. Perks

Perks and wellness offerings are a popular and effective employee retention strategy. Professionals are looking for roles that not only are flexible in their needs of how/when/where they work, but also what the company can offer them. As most people are keen to continue working remotely, regular social events might not be seen as a benefit (although they are good fun!) — offering Birthdays off, an internal reward system, unlimited annual leave or free gym membership are all other options to entice staff and make them feel cared for within their role. Company benefits are a great way of encouraging applicants for a new role also. Team building can be done through social activities (as well as regular group meetings/catch-ups), and thanks to modern technology, this can be done remotely alongside in person, although you may find everyone has had enough of Zoom quizzes by now!

5. Flexible Working

Flexible working arrangements are now becoming the norm offering from companies, and definitely, one of the biggest changes since the pandemic, as we all settled into home working, the majority of people are preferring this in the long term. Alongside working from home, a lot of professionals are also seeing no reason that flexible working can also apply to the hours, not just the location of work. Having set working hours within the day, be it 9-6, 8-4 etc, is very normal but arguably archaic – depending on your role of course. If the work is being completed and completed well, within any time frame or location, does it matter?

6. Mentoring Initiative

Another great way to support staff would be implementing a mentoring programme within your organisation. This would be a way of nurturing current staff and supporting their professional development and skills, alongside building relationships with those in the organisation that they may not have daily interaction with. There are a variety of mentoring programmes you can run, suited to all businesses and goals, such as reverse mentoring, career progression and diversity and inclusion. Mentors can share their knowledge and enhance their listening skills, Mentees can learn industry insight, time management and leadership skills – along with many others. Mentoring can be used to inspire current employees, and support new starters get settled.

To learn more about how mentoring can be used to support staff members and their development within your organisation, book a free demonstration with us today.