A Quick Guide on How to Retain Staff
Learning how to retain staff is an important task for principals or managers. By Increasing retention you can build a good team, create a happy workplace and also reduce agency fees down the line.
Make a Positive Start
Ensure that there is a smooth and professional onboarding process from the moment they gain employment. This means providing them with accurate and realistic job descriptions, and giving them time to read through the employee handbook. Provide staff with specific training within the first week of employment for as long as it takes, and give them guidance and support throughout. Allow for a good flow of communication so they can report back to you with any immediate concerns and they can hopefully be dealt with.
Pair With Someone
If possible then new staff should be paired with someone to work alongside with for the first stages. This lets them feel welcomed and they can learn on the job the right way from the beginning. Having a mentor allows people to gain confidence in their new role as well as exposure to new and different perspectives.
Performance Reviews
This is something that we always advise. So often this is not done, and not always seen as important especially in the household with few staff. However if there is no senior staff member and it’s just the principals then this is just as important to do as there may be issues you are unaware of. Schedule appraisals in bi-annaully or annually. Also ensure that you speak with them when their trial period is complete, this is usually after 3 months.
Recognise Hard Work
Staff will feel more appreciated if you give them an occasional pat on the back for the hard work they have put in. Recognising hard work can be a small token gesture or as large as you like. It can just be a thanks and a nice conversation, or possibly an announcement to the team or a treat, such as an early finish, a bonus, a meal out, cakes bought for the afternoon, anything really. Small acts of kindness bring joy and kindness to the giver and receiver.
Offer Development Choices
Encouraging staff to continually grow by offering courses increases staff productivity. Invest in them and it directly invests in their future working for you. There are so many courses on offer with a varying budget. Consider, floristry, wine courses, leadership courses, first aid, master classes that are only a few hours long such as mixology, etiquette are a great start. Allow them to take the courses at a quieter time during the working week if possible.
Provide a Good Salary
Reward employees, but also don’t wait until it’s too late. If you have high expectations and longevity is important to you then pay a good wage to begin with. It encourages people to stay and feel appreciated. Otherwise the grass may greener the other side
Team Building
This really helps employees connect with each other. Colleagues get to know each other outside of work. It increases their chances of working better together. Put people out of their comfort zone, sometimes it’s where employees can surprise you and you can see potential in them in an area where you didn’t see it before. Natural leaders for example.
Communication
Keep the lines of communication well and truly open. We all need to have good communication skills and these involve speaking, listening, observing and empathising. There are of course many ways to communicate from face-to-face, over the phone, and online, so there really is no excuse not to communicate.
Keep employees engaged, perhaps they are bored, not challenged enough? How can you change that? Perhaps they can’t be promoted but they can take on some more responsibility?
Take a good look at the work culture. Is it genuinely a happy, productive work environment? Aim to develop a positive working environment.
Are you facing the challenges of retaining staff? Get in touch today with one of our experienced consultants . They will be able to help you find the perfect member of staff.