Employee retention…you can’t hire robots.
Employees have lives outside of the organization, recognizing this goes a long way. You may have tried all the suggestions, offsite meetings, employee surveys, employee development opportunities, office potlucks on and on. But you are still having issues with employees sticking around. This is a two-fold issue for most small businesses and non-profits…one is that the current climate of workers, especially younger ones is that they have been hearing the mantra “change jobs often” and secondly as a small business you may not have the resources some larger businesses do to keep your employees with you.
5 things to consider on a small budget -little things matter
First and foremost, hire the right person, are they a good fit culturally with your organization, do they have the skills they need to do the job and are they interested in your organizations mission and goals?
Quality onboarding process-Do not leave your new employee guessing. Even with the little things. It does matter where the bathroom is and how do they log on to the network they are using. Put the time into onboarding and making them comfortable with your organization.
Consider hybrid work environment if possible. With Covid many businesses had to shift where their teams work. Hybrid work environments increase employee retention and have shown to increase productivity. Get creative if your business does not lend itself to working from home. Could you allow a paid day off for some great volunteer work the employee is committed to or would leaving early one day a week be beneficial?
If you are a small business owner, sit down regularly and give your full attention to employees individually or in small groups. Keep things casual, find out about their lives, share a few personal things about yourself. Get feedback on how their day to day is going within the organization. Intimate conversations help employees feel connected.
Reward the good work. Recognition for a job well done is a leading factor in employee retention. Do not take this for granted. Make note of small things as well. “Thanks so much for taking the lead on that last call, it really made a difference”. Little comments sprinkled throughout someone’s week encourages them to keep going.