Keep the Team Happy, and More will Come

Hiring new employees can be a costly task on both your time and your money.

But doing your best to retain current employees can help you to acquire new ones when and if you need them.

A strong and stable team are critical to the long term success of your business, so by starting to retain the best of what you’ve got, you can not only hinder any changes, but it can also provide you with a better ‘selling point’ to any new candidates.

Ensuring your best team members are in it for the long run can boost customer satisfaction, improve product sales and enable you to do effective forecasting for the year ahead.

Don’t be put off by the extra effort and minimal costs that need to be invested, and look ahead to the future benefits that it will bring to your business.

The Basics

A happy employee knows what is expected from them on a daily basis.

If you constantly chop and change their routine, or keep adding responsibilities without compensation, it will eventually increase your teams feeling of being undervalued and cause unnecessary stress.

Laurence Hebberd Editor of Undercover Recruiter recently commented on job satisfaction saying, “Keep them happy. Happy employees are better at their job and want to carry on working there – do this through regular updates, honest conversations and an openness to listen”.

Be clear and concise on the expectations you have of your employees, and don’t treat them like a commodity. They are essentially the bread and butter of your business, so give them the same respect and treatment as you would if they were a CEO.

Training Time

A motivated employee will want to go above and beyond their role within the company, if you have driven individuals such as these, embrace them and offer them further training to enable them to move up in the company or to take on more responsibility.

Offering a training scheme or an incentive to do well will only provide your business with a more educated and knowledgeable team.

It’s a worthy investment, as many individuals may be looking for a career rather than simply a job.

Look to provide pathways of growth and development, and your company will grow with them.

Know their Worth

Pay is a tricky topic that is constantly changing thanks to working laws and of course the economy.

But as detailed in this infographic by Hales Recruitment  many businesses are not aware of the average salaries in the UK, and this can be detrimental in retaining employees if you’re not offering a competitive salary.

If an employee feels undervalued they will move for money, and no matter the other benefits you provide it all comes down to the amount they’re taking home.

Do your research when offering salaries and ensure to do regular reviews to keep in-line with any changes or extra responsibilities that your employees have taken on.

A good salary should not be seen as a benefit but as a right.

Create a Culture

When your employees spend the majority of their life at work, it’s important that you provide a working environment that not only caters for their needs but also encourages inspiration and happiness.

There are many businesses that are now investing in company days out and events which can improve team building and work as an added benefit of working for the business.

When employees are given unique experiences they will brag about their great work place on social sites, creating intrigue from those looking for the ‘best’ place to work.

This will inadvertently market your business to potential candidates who are looking for a place that treats their employees well and offers incentives for their hard work.

When you combine these methods with your current team, you will retain them for longer and make the hiring process for your company far more competitive.