An organization’s greatest asset is its employees, especially the talented ones. With growing competition, it’s getting harder to find a talented workforce that sticks with you for a long time. Organizations all over the world are at war to retain their talented employees. But with attractive packages offered by the competition every other day, you cannot blame your employees for tapping a better opportunity.
Giving a raise is not the only way to employee retention, nor is it a long-term solution. Furthermore, new employees will also expect a similar package to the existing ones. There’s much more to employee loyalty than just attractive packages. Here are some ways you could attract and retain talented employees:
1. Flexible Hours
This is something not many organizations do, so if you are able to employ this scheme you would have a competitive advantage over others. What you need to do is, open your office an hour earlier and close it an hour later. Then allow your employees the flexibility to choose their hours to their comfort. However, this is not an ideal step for organizations where one employee’s work is dependent on another’s.
2. Fun Learning Sessions
Schedule lunch and learn sessions every week out of office hours to talk about something off-topic. This will create a casual tone in the workplace and show your employees that you also care about their personal growth. Studies have shown that eating together can get rid of awkwardness, anxiety and establish a friendly bond between the participants. Employees tend to stay with the organization where they have a social life.
3. Video Games
Millennials love to play video games. Add a Playstation or Xbox in your lunch room for your employees to enjoy during their brakes. Organize gaming contests to drive their interest and offer tiny incentives, like a half day off work in the following month. This will certainly attract young and fresh talent to your organization. Furthermore, video games spark brain function and boost productivity.
4. Office Management
Step up your office management with Offman. It’s a completely mobile office management software which lets you assign and manage your tasks with ease. Manage progress reports, performance reviews, attendance, and all office related things with a few simple clicks on your browser or mobile. Not to mention the 24/7 online presence with mobile phones.
5. Dogs
A dog-friendly workplace has proven to be a very effective factor in employee retention. As this practice is rarely adapted, it might give you a competitive advantage. People get very attached to dogs and don't want to leave the organization. Also, employees will look forward to coming to work every day to meet these adorable pets.
6. Performance Charts
A monthly performance chart on the office wall can do wonders with employee morale. This gives your employees a sense of accomplishment in the organization and a recognition for their efforts. Your highest ranking employees will be strongly motivated to stay with the organization, knowing what they have achieved and how their efforts have been recognized. A great example of this exercise in work is McDonald's.
7. Bean Bag Couches
A lot of modern organizations have adapted to this new scheme of sitting arrangement in the workplace. This has shown a lot of positive effects and it creates a sense of comfort. Employees will like they are at home. However, this might not be easy to apply in an established workplace with desktop computers.
8. Free Gym Memberships
Offer free gym memberships to your experienced employees. You can easily negotiate with a nearby gym to give you significant discounts on bulk deals. This will keep your employees in good health and let them know that you care about their well being.
9. Gift Vouchers
Annually give out free gift vouchers to your employees as incentives. Partner up with different retail supermarkets and stores. Many companies do this to boost employee morale and productivity.
10. Vacations
Organize a vacation with your staff every few months to socialize and interact. Travel experiences leave very vivid and happy memories in our brains and it’s also good for mental health. Your employees need a break every few months for stress release. Knowing that their organization provides that will establish employee loyalty and trust.
11. Travel Expenses
Distance from home is one of the biggest factors an employee considers while deciding between two jobs. It’s particularly related to the time and money spent on traveling from between home and office. You can make it easier for them by providing cab facilities or travel allowance. Your employees wouldn’t look for a different job closer to his or her home if you compensate them for the money they spend on traveling to the office.
12. Anonymous Employee Reporting
Any kind of harassment or bullying in the workplace can ruin all your efforts and leave you clueless. In most cases of workplace harassment, the victim leaves the organization instead of reporting it. It’s really hard to expose such hidden issues and you might keep blaming yourself for something that’s not your fault. Employees suffering from harassment fear persecution for voicing their concerns. Encourage them to file a human resources complaint. Improve your hr investigation process. Implement YourSafeHub in your organization, special communication software that protects such employees with the power of anonymity.
13. Free Meals
Complimentary meals in the office is a great attraction for employees. They don’t have to spend any money to eat outside. They don’t have to wake up early to pack a lunch. Furthermore, they don’t have to go outside, which saves a lot of time to work.
14. Expense Accounts
Employees don’t like to spend money on office related things. Suppose one of your employees have to do a lot of field work, meeting with clients outside the office for a lunch. Provide those selected employees with an expense account of their own, which means they will be compensated for their work-related expenses including travel and food.
15. Work from home
Wherever applicable, allow your employees to work from home, instead of coming to the office for a few simple tasks. For some selective jobs like a designer, traveling to the office can be completely unnecessary and it will save a lot of time and money to be invested in work if they stay at home.
16. Good HR Management
The most important step in retaining your employees is to have a great human resource manager. You cannot deal with each and every one of your employees on your own. What you need is a professional who can handle all the complaints and requests that come in effectively and efficiently. If your HR manager does not respond to the employees and communicate your message properly, you cannot retain your talented workforce.