Post-pandemic, the era of the great reshuffle saw employees and organizations exploring new arenas of innovation to function. The employee-employer relationship witnessed dynamic changes as the workplace became digitized and hybrid. A report predicts that 52% of Gen Z and Millennials are actively thinking of changing employers this year. An unsupportive work culture, workplace conflicts, micromanagement, underappreciation, lack of transparency of company policies and finances are among the top reasons why they want to make the switch.
In times like this, it’s tempting to think of short term solutions that will “retain” talent – but with the right practices and values at the workplace, with an environment that fosters learning and encourages individuals to follow their passion while driving their growth, you can create a culture that employees will not want to leave behind.
Here are four ways to guarantee the longevity of the personnel in your organization:
Enhance Employee Experience
Every experience an employee has with the organization is setting up an image of the company in their minds, right from the on-boarding process to the day-to-day emails they will receive. Educating the employee on workplace culture, setting the right expectations, keeping them informed of evaluation processes, and having a clear guide on how to incorporate the company’s core values into their day-to-day activities can give them a sense of structure and set them up for success. An organization that encourages its personnel to take accountable actions by addressing conflicts and resolving dilemmas nurtures a positive and professional attitude. Constant feedback on performance and celebrating their milestones are also important in boosting their fidelity to the organization. It is also important to have avenues at work that give employees space to explore other interests, and grow beyond their professional personas at the workplace. Many organisations implement mechanisms to better understand employee sentiments related to their professional lives. Interpreting these sentiments allow the organisation to respond to the needs of employees empathetically and help them create impactful strategies to drive employee engagements proactively and effectively, which improves Employee Experience.
Promote a Culture of Learning
Organisations will get better commitment from their employees if they roll out top-notch training programs which are aimed at enhancing their skills and knowledge. Employees will appreciate the investment made by their organisation and will be willing to extend their time to reap its benefits. This in turn will help employees find innovative and creative ways to solve problems and accomplish everyday task more efficiently.
A LinkedIn Workplace report states that 94% of employees stay longer if the employer invested in their professional development. Providing employees the opportunity to learn, develop, update, upskill and reskill can augment the partnership between the company and its personnel. With the myriad of micro-learning platforms available today, it’s easier than ever to give employees the opportunity to equip themselves to take on new challenges. A highly skilled workforce also makes it easier for an organization to hire inwards for vacant positions, while providing employees the benefit of career advancement.
A Balanced Work-Life
Reports consistently point out that most people consider work-life balance a top priority while looking for employment. Post-pandemic, it has become ever more imperative. Having a manageable workload, market-appropriate pay and equitable time off to recuperate and recharge gives employees a new vigour to perform and effectively fight burnout.
People-centric organisations put their people first, over everything else. Organisations like this will see that ensuring employee happiness improves the overall productivity of the employee and thus, customer satisfaction as well.
Managers should treat their team as family and strive to make trust their topmost priority, understanding their team, their work-life needs, their desires based on their personalities & constraints. Managers should review the productivity of individuals & teams over the number of hours worked and provide flexi-timing, time-off to pursue their passion, review their workloads in projects continuously, and make sure that the expectations set are realistic and interventions are triggered in a timely manner.
Reward Hard Work and Loyalty
Being seen as a valuable part of the workforce boost the morale of the staff. Receiving recognition and appreciation gives the employee a sense of belonging and gratitude. Timely benefits can raise the employee experience bar very high and can be instrumental in a longer period of longevity.
If you ask a group of employees, “What is the top most thing which your company does to inspire you to produce best work?” – more than 50% of the respondents will answer that it is personal recognition which encourages them to work beyond the expectation of customers. So building and promoting a culture of appreciation and recognising employees in front of a larger group motivates people to do their best at work. It is good to have digital and transparent platforms to identify the efforts of everyone real-time, recognise best performers instantly and allow their peers to reach out to them and celebrate their achievement, making the recognition more meaningful and motivating others to reach that milestone sooner.
In conclusion, while there are multiple factors influencing the longevity of employees, organisations must conduct frequent surveys and work closely with employees to understand their priorities. It is imperative to create an employee-friendly culture and craft solid plans to stay actively involved in the employee life cycle, provide them with learning tools continuously, and valuing their contributions at every turn.