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How
to keep your employees happy
By Andrea Vavruch |
Recruiting and training new
staff is costly, so keeping staff satisfied is essential.
A few decades ago, people often spent their entire
working lives in the same job; these days an employee
might stay at one company for an average of 18 to
24 months. And as the economy starts recovering
from the recession, employees can afford to look
around for better opportunities.
The obvious solution for getting staff to stay is
to increase their salaries, but a raise will only
buy loyalty over the short term. Here are a few
basic principles for keeping your employees happy
over the long term.
Make it fun
People spend most of their waking time at work,
so invest in making your company a place where your
employees want to be. This could entail anything
from planning “family days” and inter-departmental
competitions, to simply providing a basketball hoop
or a pool table for the staff common areas.
Some companies allocate a “fun budget”
to each team to use as they decide – a team
dinner, an afternoon playing paintball, or a day
at the spa. There are many options that provide
a chance both to relax, and to create stronger team
bonds.
Show them they are appreciated
Everybody wants to know they are valued. Showing
appreciation for your employees’ efforts may
be your most significant step towards improving
job satisfaction. Make an effort to publicly acknowledge
excellent work – perhaps in a staff meeting
or company newsletter.
Appreciation is not only about work - employees
need to be valued as individuals too. Take time
to get to know your staff and to find out what is
happening in their lives. Celebrate staff birthdays
and other milestones. Make them feel that they belong
and are valued for who they are, not just the work
they do.
Encourage good relationships between management
and staff
An employee’s relationship with her immediate
boss is her most important workplace relationship.
Believing that a manager cares is the greatest indicator
for whether an employee will stick with the company.
A good manager will be willing to take action on
behalf of employees. If an employee comes to them
with a concern, they should listen attentively and
then take steps to improve the situation.
Managers also need to give their staff sufficient
feedback. Even employees who are doing well need
to hear how their managers feel about their work.
Be flexible
Increasingly, companies are creating flexi-time
options for their workers. Single-parent households
are more common and businesses are realising that
some people simply cannot work during traditional
hours. Allowing staff to use their most productive
times means the work gets done, and also makes the
company more attractive to employees than conventional
companies.
Sometimes staff may be able to do their work from
home as effectively as at the office. In these cases,
allowing this option not only makes employees happy,
but it also has the added benefit of saving the
company rental and maintenance costs, as less office
space is needed.
Hire well
One of the most important factors in making sure
employees will stick around, is hiring the right
people in the first place. When interviewing, look
not only for people with the right qualifications
and competencies, but also the right personalities.
Just as not everyone would be happy in a formal
9-to-5 environment, not everyone is comfortable
with team-building games or casual Fridays. Don’t
waste time or money hiring and training someone
who won’t suit your company culture. Rather
wait for that person who will not only do the job
well, but who will become a part of your work family.
The part-time
University of Cape Town Effective People Management
short course is presented online throughout
South Africa.
Contact Kerry on 021 447 7565 or kerry@getsmarter.co.za,
or visit www.getsmarter.co.za
for more information on the next starting
date for this course. |
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