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Preparing for the upturn - Retaining and attracting the best skills in the market.

Guest post by: Louise Pope

Article Overview: With the first signs of economic recovery upon us employers need to be prepared for the upturn, they need to focus on retaining skills and keep employees engaged in their work, if voluntary turnover increases after an economic downturn, then companies have to bear the costs to recruit, train, and attract new employees to replace those who have left. Replacing lost employees quickly becomes expensive. Not only does turnover have financial implications, it also impacts workplace performance. However this is just the tip of the iceberg as customer relationships are impacted, knowledge is lost and often other employees have to pick up the slack, causing increased levels of stress among the remaining workforce.

Preparing for the upturn - Retaining and attracting the best skills in the market.

Employers need to prepare for the upturn, if they don’t when the recovery starts to take hold, companies may find themselves scrambling to find qualified talent as workers who suffered through the pressure of tightening measures may defect in droves for better opportunities.

Over the past 15 - 20 years the job market has experienced a dramatic change in employee loyalty. Top employees no longer remain with a company for 10 years plus, employees want more. They want more money, more benefits, more career prospects & training, more flexibility and recognition and they aren’t afraid to move from job to job until they are satisfied. Companies that will succeed into the future will not only make good hiring decisions but will understand this employment trend and will make a concerted effort to instill loyalty amongst their top producers.

The following ten tips may help:

1. Open door policy - Levels of trust eroded by the recession must be re-built.

1. Personal Control - Engaged employees have a great deal of personal control over their work environment and work decisions. Allowing employees greater autonomy in their work roles will increase their need to feel they have some control over their jobs. A supervisor's need for control can tend to undermine the employee's personal control if they supervise too closely. A great supervisor will back off and let the employee do their job, make their own mistakes on the job, and learn from them. This means that the supervisor must have a great deal of patience and trust.

1. Define job descriptions / Expectations and Goals - Managers must align with employees and clearly define roles and responsibility. If an employee knows exactly what to expect, engagement in their work increases. Let your employees know where they stand at all times on their job performance and their work goals. The content of the performance review should not be a once a year surprise to the employee. Give the employee information and feedback about their work outcomes as well as the future of the job. Lack of ambiguity about the employee's role, behavior, and future will increase the employee's engagement. Don't assume an employee will ask you for the information they need. They might be a bit intimidated to ask these types of questions. As the employer, be the one to offer the information freely. When an employee knows about their own job future, they relax, feel more secure, perform better, and are more engaged. Setting well-defined, achievable goals and measuring them will also improve engagement. Always give clear feedback on goal achievement.

1. Pay - Unless an employee is independently wealthy and they have no need for financial compensation, salary matters. Budgets are always a concern and sometimes we’d like to give more than we are able, but remain aware of market trends and know what your competitors are offering. The best investment your company can make is hanging on to your quality employees.

1. Benefits - Today’s successful candidates are looking at their future. They are market savvy and looking for more than just the basic pay. Competitive benefits packages are now including a bonus plan, profit sharing, study assistance, additional leave, healthcare, as well as flexible working conditions.

1. Training - Good employees always want to learn more. Spend time with your staff, teach them new aspects of the business, keep their interest by providing an environment where they are constantly learning.

1. Recognition - All employees like to be told when they do a good job. Recognise their accomplishments not only with financial bonuses but also with non-financial awards. Make every contribution openly appreciated.

1. Have fun - Add an element of fun to your work weeks. Give your employees something to look forward to. Company outings, community service projects, lunch, etc. Add a social aspect to the mundane daily routine and your employees will look forward to working hard for you.

1. The Supervisor - Effective leadership is a key area in improving employee engagement. If the employee has a good connection with their boss, they are more likely to stay and work hard for the company. Management should be supportive and provide the resources and training that employees need to be competent at their jobs. Employees want to feel that their boss knows, understands, and supports them. By listening, acting, and helping employees solve problems, supervisors can strengthen the communication between themselves and their workers. As an employer, if you are not sure whether the employee feels supported by management, just ask, "What can I do to support your work?" Each employee is different, so listen carefully to the answer, and do your best to meet the need they voiced.

1. Safety and Security - Employees need to feel safe and secure at their work location, in order to feel engaged. For employers, this means providing good working conditions, such as good lighting, an ergonomic desk and chair, an emergency plan, adequate temperature, cleanliness, low noise levels, and absence of danger.

Final thought:

Introduce these ideas slowly one at a time to your workforce. Start with your supervisors; they will have the most impact on your employees. With each new idea, you will see your employees becoming more engaged in their work. You will soon begin to see the difference in your bottom line.

Good Luck

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Article Tags: autonomy, career prospects, concerted effort, dramatic change, droves, employee loyalty, employment trend, li style, ol style, open door policy, patience, personal control, recession, rsquo, style type, top producers, type decimal, upturn, work decisions, work environment



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