Covid has changed the landscape of the world as we know it. The job market has never been so dynamic and employee retention and corporate wellness have become increasingly difficult.
In 2022 the current trends to help facilitate employee retention and engagement are:
Promoting a people-first culture.
This means actively creating an environment that puts staff and their needs and aspirations first. It can be achieved by maintaining a strong culture of corporate wellness based on living the company values, recognizing effort, providing regular feedback, listening to concerns as well as ideas, creating attractive workspaces in collaboration with staff etc. Many of these employee retention strategies are inexpensive but do require time and commitment which is where many organisations fall down.
Work life balance
This entails being flexible regarding working arrangements. A staggering 75% of staff believe they are more productive at home than in the office and so appreciate being able to work from home at least some of the time. Getting the balance right also means reducing expectations on staff outside of work hours to answer emails and phone calls etc Utilising these kinds of employee retention strategies also limits the need for motivation training as employees become more motivated naturally.
Corporate wellness
Another increasing focus for many organisations is that of employee well-being, both physical and mental health wise. They are introducing policies around mental health wellness days, EAP access, putting on yoga classes, providing gym memberships etc. A study by Google showed that psychological safety is the number one component of highly engaged teams. This means knowing that staff will be listened to, not penalized for making mistakes or ridiculed for their opinions.
Employee benefits
Benefits range from starting bonuses, to annual leave on birthdays, healthcare insurance and even pet friendly workplaces. These benefits attract employees and often elevate employees’ views of the organization minimising the need for motivation courses and engagement training.
Diversity and inclusion
It’s safe to say that workplaces benefit from having a diverse workforce with differing views, experiences and skills. Organisations are proactively positioning themselves as equal opportunities employers through education, respect for preferred pronouns, sexual orientation and choice of appearance. Creating a culture of acceptance and belonging helps retain staff.
Career growth
Organisations that provide opportunities for staff to grow and develop tend to have a more engaged and stable workforce. Provision of professional development in the form of training, funding external qualifications and providing opportunities to move into different areas of the business are all viewed very positively and enhance employee retention.
Embracing social media
Social media is here to stay so employers who are making the most of employee reviews, chat forums, linked in networks and the like are placing themselves ahead of the curve.
What is your organisation doing to help attract and retain staff? For more information on this subject or to book some Motivation and engagement training, call us on 1300 850959
