The new year is infamously the time of year during which we re-evaluate our life course, and aim to rectify any areas of dissatisfaction. While this may fuel our imagination and inspire positive personal changes, the reinvention does however pose a distinct risk to employers who may see an influx of departures if employees feel unhappy within their current positions.
It has been reported that 32.5% of the UK’s workforce consider moving on professionally in the New Year; however interestingly, statistics reveal that many hang on until after January’s pay day before giving notice – giving business owners a false sense of security. This highlights the importance of considering and maintaining employees’ positive wellbeing in the workplace consistently throughout the year, with particular due diligence to any heightened stress associated with the upcoming busy festive season.
This priority however appears to largely go amiss within many large corporations. A recent review commissioned by Theresa May revealed that the annual cost to employers for mental ill health, including cases of severe stress and depression induced by work pressures, remains to be between £33 billion and £42 billion. Evidently, employers who fail to address employee satisfaction in their workplace will find this comes at a huge cost to the organisation.
In order to alleviate any concern regarding sudden employee desertion, outlined below are several steps an organisation can take in order to assure a consistently impressive standard of employee retention and achieve anticipated financial projections by improving employee satisfaction.
1. Provide a positive working environment:
Undoubtedly, the first step to creating job satisfaction begins with providing a safe, positive working environment. A workplace which inspires creativity and motivation will reap rewards for the company, ensuring employees function to their optimum level of productivity. The benefits of this are apparent when considering the infamous headquarters of iconic corporations such as Google, who are renowned for heavily prioritising the wellbeing and happiness of its staff. Of the many ways to achieve this, communication is the simplest of them all; encourage an open environment to discuss what your employee wants and needs outside of a corporate, appraisal setting once every few months. This demonstrates that as an employer, you are asking because you care not because you have to!
2. Reward and recognise:
Acknowledging the success and effort of your employees is an invaluable motivator; especially considering one of the biggest complaints from staff is not feeling appreciated. Research suggests that a simple ‘thank you’ is enough to promote a further sense of purpose within an employee, while more meaningful and detailed demonstrations of appreciation outline with more clarity what it is they are doing well, and how they can continue with their achievements. This detail incorporates more than empty phrases; direct, personal interactions with your team serve to be much more beneficial, making staff feel valued and respected. Everybody requires appreciation in slightly different ways, so it is important to identify these for an individual and act accordingly for the best results.
3. Evaluate and measure job satisfaction regularly:
Improvement is not finite; continuous evaluation and adjustment serves to drive progress. More specifically, evaluation acts to measure achievement and determine which areas require further change and/or which areas appear to be sufficiently serving the needs of employees. This has similarly proven to make employees feel they are being listened to, and their requests genuinely considered – a necessity when building rapport.
4. Enhance motivation with tailored activities:
There are several benefits to putting on tailored events and activities, designed to boost morale within a specific company. Inviting a third party in to your company to motivate can offer a neutral perspective and a re-energised sense of motivation for staff.
Corporate training packages are typically aimed at improving what employees can offer to a business, how they can better themselves in a work environment, thus placing emphasis on the business’ needs rather than the employees’. I aim to help people to help themselves, improving their skills on a personal level; this in turn will enhance their performance in a professional environment. To offer staff training and development which translates through to their personal lives as well, ensures they are intrigued and motivated. For example; improving communication skills, as a whole, will allow staff to create better working relationships as well as personal ones.
People want to be listened to, valued and considered; if the training resonates with them on both a personal and professional level, their engagement is heightened. Our training packages are therefore aimed, not only at benefiting the business, but the people involved.
As a qualified life coach and motivational speaker, should you require assistance improving the morale and productivity of your employees, in turn lessening the likelihood you will face a wave of departures come the new year; get in touch to enquire about our corporate packages: www.be-limitless.co.uk
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