HR Systems, the Key to Good Staff Retention

Magnet

by Andrew Meehan, Principal Recruitment Lead: IT Infrastructure/Security at Abrivia Recruitment

Reassessing your employment situation throughout ones careers is a normal as paying tax at the end of the month. Long gone are the days where you stay in one job for life. This is especially true with a host of internal and external forces present in today’s market. With the external labour market being as buoyant as ever coupled with say fluctuations in the workplace, moving house, changes at home or family commitments, can result in one taking stock of where they are at in their professional life. As a manager this is part and parcel of the employment lifecycle, and thus, must be accepted and expected.

Being proactive and highlighting people who you think are in the potential mind-set of leaving is the key to negating any possible disturbances or negative effects of people moving on. The below four points are just some signs which can underline whether employees may become a flight risk;

Work-life balance / Flexitime
With the advancements in technology such as BYOD (bring your own device) and living in this “always on 24/7 environment”, this can lead to employees feeling harried to work outside of their work hours. Having in place official policies around work-life balance and being supportive of it, is key to retaining people. Leveraging technology and allowing people to say work remotely, can lead to more productive and happier workforce.

Emotional Wellbeing
Tying into the above, one of the main reasons why a person leaves their job is stress related. Managers need to endeavour to highlight the indicative signs that someone is experiencing stress or problems in the workplace. These aforementioned signs many include high levels of absenteeism, negative attitude, and conflict with management or other colleagues.

Onboarding Programs
Having a structured onboarding programme is just as important as getting the cultural fit right when hiring new people for the organisation. Engaging with new employees, making sure they have all the tools to do the job, and access to the necessary support mechanisms, is critical to keeping attrition rates low. The costs associate with hiring are high, so it’s paramount in importance that there is an effective program in place.

Remuneration and Progression

According to Abrivia’s 2018 salary survey, 73% of respondents said they were expecting or would be looking for a pay increase in the next 12 months. With the labour market being as tight as it is, this should not come as a surprise. People are generally happier when they are earning more and have the line of sight in terms of what they need to achieve to be promoted. Employees will consider their options if they feel they are paid under the market rate or the option for promotion is limited. Having a transparent and consistent progression plan is essential to keeping key people in the business.

The people of an organisation are its most important asset. Having well balanced systems in place supporting employee wellbeing, progression, onboarding, and working the way they are meant to. Will allow people to work smart, on their own terms, and in turn monitor behaviour, engage and listen to the workforce. Resulting in lower attrition rates which is worth its weight in gold in the war for talent.