Being an employer of choice
During the recession we read headlines of the excessive number of applicants for jobs. Remember the 1700 applicants for 8 Costa Coffee jobs in Nottingham? As the economy recovers and this month the number of people in employment is reported to be at an all-time high (ONS 18/3/15) we are at the other end of the spectrum of trying to attract applicants and retain our skilled and knowledgeable employees.
Through economic peaks and troughs, finding particular skills has always been a challenge, so modern employment is all about matching what you can offer as an employer to what 21st century employees are looking for.
Here at West HR, we’ve been around workplaces for more years than we care to remember (obviously we started very young!) and have built up a knowledge of the practices that attract and retain the best talent. Here’s our top, easy to implement employer of choice strategies:
1. Take a flexible approach
The right to request flexible working arrangements came into effect last summer, but this did not mark a big change for employers of choice. They have long recognised the benefits of ensuring workers find the right integration for them of their work and personal responsibilities. We have the first generation of employees that have dual caring responsibilities – young children and aging parents, but it’s not only about carers, there is a recognition of the benefits of volunteering and other non-work interests back in the workplace. Employers are seeking to ensure that managing those non-work responsibilities and interests are not a distraction for employees whilst they are at work so they can contribute as productively as possible.
2. Consider your reward strategy
Many organisations will have a suite of benefits offered to staff – but are they tailored to the business strategy? Are you sure that these costly benefits are actually rewarding good performance, motivation and retaining staff? Are they even valued by staff?
It’s worth evaluating what effect any benefit you offer has and whether it’s supporting what you are trying to achieve as a business. It may well determine that you spend the money on something else that is valued by employees and enables your organisation to deliver its objectives.
Motivation theories (such as our old friends’ Maslow and Hertzberg) tell us that money may only motivate to a certain level. Other elements of reward may then come into play – like career progression or exposure to a particular piece of work. Reward is not just financial but also about matching the work of employees to what interests and drives them.
3. Continuous Improvement
An organisation that recognises the need for ongoing learning stays competitive and is always striving for improvement. Productive employees tend to want to be part of that – either progressing their career up the ladder or maintaining professional competence. So a commitment to learning and development helps attract and retain the best staff. Employees are motivated by the investment being placed in them and the developmental stretch provides interest and engagement.
A particular important group of people to invest in, to prevent staff turnover are line managers – explored in our recent blog: People leave managers not companies.
4. Employee Voice
CIPD research has found that organisations with effective two way communication between employer and employee have:
- better utilisation of employees’ skills and knowledge leading to higher productivity
- employees feeling more valued, so they are more likely to stay and to contribute more
- a positive reputation, making it easier to recruit good employees
- reduced conflict between employer and employee enhancing the work environment
- employees with a sense of better job security as they are involved in decision making
Employee voice can take a variety of forms, but the simplest means could include suggestion schemes, employee survey and regular team meetings where feedback is encouraged and (crucially) acted upon.
But what about the cost?
Remember, if you don’t find that balance of employer and employee needs, chances are you competitors will and they’ll entice away your top talent with all their knowledge and experience. You will not only lose this valuable resource but will also have the cost and time of recruitment and new employee learning to fill that gap – perhaps it is worth the investment after all?
