Last Updated on Dec 19, 2019 by James W
Gone are the days when employees stay with one company for the majority of their careers. The modern employee wants to learn what they can, make a positive impact, then move on to new pastures.
This means businesses have to come up with ways of not just attracting the top talent but keeping them. Investing in employees is one way of doing this. It provides employees with exclusive benefits and professional advantages and is beneficial for businesses by reducing turnover, and ultimately boosting the bottom line.
Invest in their personal and professional development
When development opportunities dry up, employees will feel like they are stagnating and begin getting itchy feet. The easiest way to make employees feel valued and like they are moving forward in their careers is by developing their skills.
Implementing an individual development plan for each employee will help both you and your staff reach their short and long-term goals. If, for example, your IT worker wants to expand their horizons and continue building their IT skills, invest in their IT skill development. There are plenty of opportunities to enhance your IT skills in a unique way that will appeal to your employees.
Distribute more responsibility
Employees that take pride in their work and feel like they have an impact on the company and its direction will be more motivated. Distributing more leadership roles to key employees will allow them to share their experience and make them more loyal to the company.
Invest in team-building exercises
Team-building days conjure up images of dry training sessions and forced fun. But they don’t have to be. Any activity that gets everyone together and communicating can be a good way of building a sense of community and enhancing teamwork.
For example, a team paintballing day is a fun way to get everyone involved and working together towards a shared objective, as is an escape-room. These activities are more enjoyable than traditional training classes. Investing in team-building activities like these will boost productivity and morale, as well as foster creativity, idea sharing and improve communication.
Invest in your work environment
Your workspace should be designed around your people, not what the building lends itself to. If your employees need a nice kitchen space to prepare lunches or sit and eat breakfast before work, make space for that at the expense of something else.
If you think a communal area with board games, a TV or table tennis table would appeal to your employees, invest in that. If you give your employees a work space that they enjoy being in, they won’t dread getting up and coming to work in the morning and it will make them more productive and creative when they are at their desks.
Give your employee a work-life balance
Everyone needs a work-life balance. We need to recharge our batteries, get a good night’s rest and catch up on personal relationships to stay balanced, focused and happy. If your employees aren’t getting a good work-life balanced, their performance will slip.
If you wouldn’t be willing to work the hours or the shifts you are asking your employees to work, chances are they are frustrated at working it too. A frustrated employee is not going to be as productive or as positive with customers as one that is happy, rested, and balanced.
