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Five Strategies For Retaining Your Top Performers

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Staff Retention|Five Strategies For Retaining Your Top PerformersIt is hard to get ahead in the business world when you are constantly having to hire new staff. It is important that you are able to retain your top performers so that you can consistently perform, create harmony in the workplace and avoid the recruitment process which can be lengthy, stressful and expensive.

So, how do you retain your top workers? This can be a challenge particularly when you are a smaller business that may not be able to offer the same wages that they could command at one of the bigger brands in your industry. That is not to say that it is not possible, however, as there are a few highly effective strategies to try.

Flexible Working

The days of working Monday to Friday 9-5 are disappearing and it is important to recognize this as a business owner. You should offer your staff flexible working whether this is remote working opportunities or early starts/late finishes. This can boost morale, show that you trust and respect staff, and help with productivity levels.

Create The Right Office Environment

A job is much more than just a paycheck; it’s a place where people spend most of their week. Creating the right office environment ensures that people can feel happy, relaxed and focused each day which will help with workplace satisfaction. Here are a few tips to create the right environment:

  • Open plan and open door policy
  • High-quality equipment, furniture and tech
  • Allowing open communication
  • High-quality staff break room
  • Maximizing natural light
  • Plenty of plant life
  • Attractive office decor

Social Events

Leading on from this, it is also important to host regular staff social events. This can improve employee retention because it can help to develop chemistry between employees, as well as show that you appreciate your staff. You can throw more formal events, but you may find that it is the informal events which are most effective. These might include:

  • Afterwork drinks
  • Team lunches
  • Staff BBQ
  • Sport/exercise classes

Listen To Feedback

It is hard to retain your top performers if you are not listening to your employees nor taking notice of what they say. One of the best ways to do this is to employ satisfaction solutions like happy-or-not.com, which can help you to determine how happy your employees are and identify ways in which you can make improvements to boost morale.

Development

The best workers are the ones who want to progress in their careers, and so it is important that you allow them room to grow within your organization. This means that you should provide training opportunities and promotion from within, but you should also listen to their career goals and find ways to help them to achieve this within your business.

It is frustrating to lose your top workers to the bigger brands but this is unavoidable if you do not take action to retain employees. Even if you cannot match wages they could earn elsewhere, there are always ways in which you can keep hold of your top performers.

Why Acquiring Background Checks – and Waiting for the Result – is Imperative for Helping Keep your Workplace Safe

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Background Check|Why Acquiring Background Checks – and Waiting for the Result – is Imperative for Helping Keep your Workplace SafeWhether you are a small business or a corporate giant, the need for placing security as a priority for your employees goes without saying. The very first step employers should take in providing a safe work environment is to screen all possible new hires through a quality background check. By “quality” I mean “thorough.”

Yet, as a security expert (and a former Public Officer / Detective specializing in violence prevention), I often see employers who are more interested in the speed and cost of a background check rather than the quality.
However, I would go so far as to say that employers can’t afford NOT to run a thorough background check. The threat of workplace violence is a continuing problem that will not be blunted by cheap and incomplete (or inaccurate) background checks.

Due to the frantic world we live in, too many employers and HR professionals believe that a comprehensive criminal record check can be completed instantly. But unfortunately, it cannot.

To buy into the INSTANT or “FAST FOOD” variety of background checks will not create a safe environment that every employer and employee needs and desires.

When You Use a Quality Background Check You MUST Wait for the Results before Hiring

It is an HR manager’s dream: the perfect candidate walks into an interview with a superb resume, terrific qualifications, and great interview responses. It’s a “no-brainer” that this is the right person for the job. Yet the dream can easily turn into a nightmare when the candidate is offered the job position BEFORE HR gets the results back from the background check.

The new hire starts work, and things are progressing well until a week later when HR receives the individual’s background check. Reality hits. Besides many red flags, there are also prior convictions that leave the employer no other choice but to promptly fire the employee.

In this case, the new hire is terminated and must be escorted off the company property. It is a scenario that no business wants on its hands. Besides being an awkward situation, it puts the work environment of other employees in a compromised position rather than one of safety.

The Takeaway

Background checks are important in detailing an individual’s history and play a big role in narrowing candidates. Depending on the type of background check, it can take some time for the results to return to the HR team.
Although waiting for a check to clear may seem like an inconvenience, it can’t compare to the problems created by an ill-informed job offer. The screening process should not be overlooked or rushed.

It is far better to invest the time needed to secure a comprehensive background check and wait for the results before offering a job candidate the employment position. By doing so, you show your fellow employees that providing a secure work environment is your greatest priority.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Mike McCartyMike McCarty is Founder & CEO of Safe Hiring Solutions with thousands of clients such as Liberty Mutual Insurance, Kiwanis International, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Clubs, and more. Mike has more than 25 years of violence prevention experience that includes being a violent crime detective with the Metro Nashville Police Department, and a violence prevention consultant to organizations such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Justice, National Sheriff’s Association and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.