Top Talent: How To Keep Your Best Members Of Staff

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Keep your best staff members|Top Talent: How To Keep Your Best Members Of StaffBusinesses will know the huge expense of recruitment, so when you have a team of skilled team members, it’s in your interest, and theirs, to remain part of the company. The success of your organization depends on having a talented team in place, but it’s all too easy to take people for granted and only realize you should have done more when it’s too late.

Holding on to your key employees is essential in maintaining great results in your business, saving time and money when it comes to recruitment, and retaining employee engagement. Here are some tips for creating an environment that people want to work in long-term.

Stay up to date with the market

Pay is one of the primary reasons people take on jobs and show up for work every day, so it stands to reason that it’s also one of the top reasons employees might be inspired to leave a company. If you’re not continually assessing the compensation you’re providing to your staff in relation to your competitors and industry standards, you could be at risk of losing your top members of staff.

Make sure that you’re offering an attractive salary to retain talented candidates and offer regular raises or bonuses, particularly for highly skilled or hard-to-fill roles, to minimize the risk of compensation-based staff turnover.

Keep progression in mind

If your staff feel as though the role they’re in is as far as they’ll go in the company, they’re not going to be inspired to stay. But if you can offer them career development, mentorship and opportunities on the career ladder that they can climb if they choose to, they’ll be more inclined to stay loyal to your company. Succession planning not only motivates your staff, but it also means you’re building a highly skilled team that will provide value within the business. Take the time to talk to your employees, find out where they ideally see their career going and work together to make it a reality that benefits both your team and your business.

Create a positive work environment

No-one wants to head into work five days a week only to feel lonely or miserable. As a business owner, you have a responsibility to provide a happy, healthy work environment for your employees. Your employees will be motivated to come into the office if there is a positive workplace culture coupled with great amenities, such as chill-out spaces, on-site gyms and pool tables, or free coffee and snacks, as well as communal benefits such as happy hour on Friday after work or team days out.

The physical workplace is just as important when it comes to creating a positive work experience for your employees with benefits, regular socials, meetings and team-building activities. Engaging staff helps them to not only perform their best at work but also want to stay part of the team.

Don’t overwork your team

Your A-players are likely to give their all at work. After all, their dedication and engagement is part of what makes them your top members of staff. But over time, that can take its toll. Employees that don’t have a healthy work-life balance will begin to burnout, and that can result in them leaving for a job that offers more flexibility. With only one third of UK employees happy with their work-life balance, businesses that want to retain their skilled staff need to be conscious of making sure that their employees are getting ample rest, that they’re not working excessively and that the workload they’re being given is realistic.

Prioritize two-way communication

Communication is critical in any relationship, and when it comes to keeping your employees happy and engaged, it needs to be a priority. This means putting sufficient time aside to sit down with your employees to talk about their performance and your expectations, as well as giving them the opportunity to voice their thoughts and concerns. Two-way dialogue is vital if you want to retain your top performers for a long time, as no-one wants to work for a company that doesn’t value their opinion or take their feedback on board. When communication is open and honest, it creates a culture of trust – something that employees value highly.

Recruitment can slow your business’ ability to scale up and achieve goals. A high turnover takes its toll on a company’s productivity, reputation, and workflow. It is both costly and time-consuming, and can have a negative impact on morale if staff turnover rates remain high. So, it’s in your interest to keep your team on side for longer, especially when it comes to retaining your top-performing employees.

How To Ensure A Safe And Healthy Workplace For Your Employees

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article Safe workplace|Safe Workplace|How To Ensure A Safe And Healthy Workplace For Your EmployeesA safe and healthy workplace is essential for the well-being of your employees. Unfortunately, many businesses do not take the necessary steps to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. This can lead to serious health problems for your employees. This blog post will discuss some of the most important things you can do to create a safe and healthy workplace for your employees!

1. Establish Clear Health And Safety Policies

It is essential that you have clear health and safety policies in place to protect your employees. These policies should be communicated to all employees and enforced consistently. Some examples of important health and safety policies include:

  • Proper ergonomics in the workplace
  • Using personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Reporting unsafe conditions

If you do not have clear health and safety policies in place, your employees may be at risk of injury or illness. Furthermore, if an employee is injured or becomes ill due to a lack of safety precautions, you could be held liable.

2. Keep It Clean

Another important way to ensure a safe and healthy workplace is to keep it clean. A dirty workplace can lead to a number of health problems, including respiratory infections, skin diseases, and even food poisoning. To keep your workplace clean, you should:

  • Regularly clean all surfaces
  • Encourage employees to wash their hands often
  • Prohibit eating in areas where food is prepared or stored

A clean workplace will help keep your employees healthy and reduce the spread of illness. You can even consider biohazard cleaning services if the situation dictates it.

3. Promote A Healthy Lifestyle

You can also promote a safe and healthy workplace by encouraging your employees to live healthy lifestyles. There are many things you can do to promote a healthy lifestyle, including:

  • Providing healthy food options in the workplace
  • Encouraging employees to exercise regularly
  • Offering smoking cessation programs

Promoting a healthy lifestyle will help reduce the risk of health problems for your employees and make them more productive.

4. Provide Training

Another important way to ensure a safe and healthy workplace is to provide training for your employees. Employees should be trained on how to safely perform their job duties and how to identify and report unsafe conditions. Furthermore, you should provide first-aid and CPR training for your employees. This will help them stay safe in the event of an accident or medical emergency.

5. Regularly Inspect The Workplace

It is also essential to regularly inspect the workplace for safety hazards. You should look for things like trip hazards, electrical hazards, and chemical hazards. If you find a hazard, you should fix it immediately. Furthermore, you should create a system for employees to report hazards so they can be resolved quickly.

6. Invest In Safety Equipment

Investing in safety equipment is another important way to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. Some examples of safety equipment include:

By investing in safety equipment, you can help keep your employees safe in the event of an emergency.

Creating a safe and healthy workplace is essential for the well-being of your employees. By following these tips, you can help create a work environment that is free from hazards and conducive to good health.

The 4 Best Ways To Stay Connected to Your Team

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Stay connected to your team|The 4 Best Ways To Stay Connected to Your TeamIf there’s one thing the best companies to work for all have in common, it is ensuring their team is well-connected at all times. This connection helps build cohesion between your employees, which may reach the point where they know what the other is thinking, boosting synchronicity and cultivating an office that is more productive than others. As a manager, you need to find a way to match this, so how can you stay connected to your team?

Team Building

Team building is a superb way to bring your office closer together and help people stay connected. There are numerous ways to achieve this, too, including weekly quizzes or activities like golf, laser tag, or other fun things that will bring people closer together.

These team-building efforts can be the difference between an office that goes above and beyond for one another, and one that will ditch their team as soon as another offer comes around. It will improve teamwork and satisfaction, giving you a more robust office culture that will have a direct impact on productivity and performance.

Casual Connections

Professional communication is vital in the office, but you can also help your team develop casual connections. Many people consider their work friends important but it can be tricky to improve these connections outside the office.

To encourage this, consider one of the best alternatives to Telegram and Discord that will give your employees the chance to chat and connect even outside the confines of your office. The various rooms and features allow them to connect on a different level that isn’t related to work, which will allow them to develop more authentic relationships. From this, you’ll see a direct improvement.

Exchanges

If your team is working remotely more often than not, there’s a chance they may feel disconnected from their colleagues and may not have the drive they once did. Loneliness and isolation are two significant issues with working from home, so establishing exchanges each week can remind everyone they are still thought of and cared for.

These exchanges can include whatever you want. Previously, businesses have tried baked goods or books, but there is no right or wrong answer, so consider whatever you think will work best.

Company Contests

Office competitions always go down well. They are ideal for celebrating the end of the year or season, and they are often easy enough for everyone to get involved, even those who don’t normally feel like partaking in activities.

Establishing company contests or competitions will allow everyone to win something, whether a voucher or even a day off whenever they feel like it. Like exchanges and activities, there is no limit to what you can choose, so feel free to get creative.

Connected

Staying connected is essential for building rapport with your team. However, as beneficial as it can be to get in touch with your employees at all times, you must also understand boundaries. By respecting when they are off the clock, you can maintain a positive attitude towards their duties. So, embrace the benefits of simple communication, but establish limits, also.

6 Reasons to Start an Employee Mentorship Program

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Employee Mentorship Program|6 Reasons to Start an Employee Mentorship ProgramIf you’re like most business owners, you’re always looking for ways to improve your company. You may have heard about the importance of employee mentorship programs, but you’re not sure if they are worth the investment. Below, we share the top five reasons you should start a mentorship program today.

Attract Top Talent

Mentorship programs can help you attract top talents in your industry. Generational differences are shrinking, and younger employees want to learn from the best in their fields. A majority of highly-skilled professionals would prefer working for a company that offers something unique like mentorship programs. It’s even better for your company if you use the latest mentoring software to power your program.

Increased Employee Retention Rate

Mentorship programs can help you increase employee retention rates. Millennials often change jobs because they are looking for a new challenge at the workplace or find conditions that better suit their needs as individuals. You can keep them engaged and motivated by putting them in a mentorship program with a more experienced worker. Mentors also tend to get inspired by mentees, making them stay in the program longer than they would have otherwise.

Improved Company Culture

Mentoring helps to improve the overall culture of your company. It is a good way for employees from different departments and roles to interact. This can lead to less interdepartmental conflict because it brings about better understanding across divisions in your organization. Employees are likely to be more productive and engaged in their work through rich company culture, as they’ll have the urge to learn and grow.

Efficient Communication

A mentorship program helps in fostering effective communication across departments. Through the different conversations that will be ongoing, employees are likely to share ideas about how your company can improve on its products or services. They’ll also keep sharing lessons they’ve learned from their mentors with others, leading to a more knowledgeable workforce.

Employees who would otherwise fear approaching their bosses will now find it easier to air their concerns and ideas that could help propel the company forward. A mentorship program will help ensure that everyone has a voice in your company’s decision-making processes.

Creation of Future Leaders

A successful mentorship program can also help identify potential leaders for your company who have a clear understanding of the company’s vision and mission and its goals and objectives. This reduces the costs of hiring new talents and the time wasted in training these new hires.

Improved Career and Personal Development

The career and personal development of your employees can also be enhanced by a mentorship program. Employees who have mentors tend to find their work more interesting and challenging, which helps them perform better at their jobs.
An employee mentorship program is a great way to engage with your employees, improve their performance, and help boost your company’s overall productivity. If you’ve been skeptical about starting a mentorship program at your company in the past, keep in mind that it’s never too late to start.

5 Workplace Design Factors That Boost Employee Satisfaction

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Workplace Design|5 Workplace Design Factors That Boost Employee SatisfactionToday’s employees are a miserable bunch. Yes, their wages have been stagnant for the last twenty years, but it’s more fundamental than that. Most of them are essentially dissatisfied with their work, and their lives.

Part of the solution, according to some companies at least, is to change the workplace. Altering the design is seen as a way to drive engagement and make workers a little happier. Google and Facebook have turned their offices into what looks like kids’ playgrounds. But are there sensible ways to appease today’s generation of fussy workers? Let’s take a look:

Blended Activity Design

In the past, offices were home to quite simple work. Clerks would sit in row upon row of desks, signing off forms, checking statements, and approving applications. It was all pretty easy and banal stuff.

Then things began to change. Computers automated most of the rote tasks, freeing workers up to do messier, harder-to-define things.

Unfortunately, many offices didn’t keep pace. Employers designed their layouts on the assumption that most people would be working alone, most of the time. But that’s not always the case. In fact, in most organizations, constant collaboration is essential.

The solution is blended activity design. The idea is to create spaces that allow workers to do multiple things at once. Huddle spaces, project rooms, conference rooms – they’re all helpful.

Accessibility

Workers want accessible workspaces. They don’t want to have to walk up flights of stairs to pokey offices, or step over annoying thresholds.

That’s why many firms are now working with companies, like Sheridan Lifts. The basic idea is to make it easier for everyone to get around, including wheelchair users.

Wellbeing Design

As stated in the introduction, today’s workers are not the happiest bunch. While you’ll sometimes get a smile out of them, it’s not the norm.

General angst is a major issue. Employees are anxious all the time, sitting at their desks, sweating nervously over reports that they write.

Companies know this, which is why many are designing their offices for wellbeing. They include plenty of natural daylight, uplifting colors and plants. The overall effect is to turn the office into a much more welcoming and joyful space, not something that looks like it came right out of the 1980s.

Employee Appeal

Employees also want workplaces that appeal to their priorities. Including amenities such as gyms, outdoor break areas and pingpong tables in the canteen can make a big difference.

While these additions seem trivial to management, they send out a clear message that the company is interested in looking after its employees. Wellbeing is top-of-mind for many firms that implement these strategies.

Integrated Technology

BYOB is great for employees and businesses, but it can make life difficult for workers when the office isn’t compatible. Make sure that you make room for employee equipment by keeping desks and other countertops free from clutter. Eliminating wires by using structured wiring solutions can also help, and it allows you to shift your office around in the future, if you’re not happy with it today.