Businesses are always looking for ways to reduce employee turnover. Having a high employee turnover isn’t ideal, because you constantly need to retrain new people, and every time someone new is introduced, it affects the atmosphere and the team dynamic as everyone tries to adjust. It’s therefore vital to try and keep your employees working for you for as long as possible. Since the start of the pandemic, more and more people have been quitting their jobs, for various reasons. The most common reason is that they are worried about their and their family’s health, but some people see the pandemic as the perfect opportunity to start their own venture. This has left businesses reeling from a too-high employee turnover. If you’re looking for ways to reduce employee turnover, this is the post for you.
Training
Employees are more likely to continue working for you if they get added benefits. A lot of these benefits will only benefit them, not you, such as healthcare. However, training your employees is good for them and for you. Most employees will be eager to undergo training, since that will increase their skills and improve those they already have, making them more viable for promotions and raises. Growing your training with content development will help grow your business and likely reduce your employee turnover.
Make your employees feel appreciated
While personal feelings aren’t supposed to have a place in the office, there’s no denying that people enjoy praise, or at least recognition for their efforts. Most businesses aren’t in the position to be giving out bonuses any time soon, but there are other ways of showing your employees that you value them. You can host fun award evenings with awards like “always stays late” and other things that show the employees you notice the small things. Even a simple “thank you” or “well done” could be enough to make them feel noticed.
Offer them the opportunity to work from home
Depending on what business you have, you may be able to offer some of your employees the opportunity to work from home. Since health is such a big worry for a lot of people, they may feel more at ease if they’re able to work form their home and avoid exposure to coworkers. Be sure to discuss it at-length with them before you both come to a decision; there are a few things to know before working from home.
Hygiene, sanitation, and safety precautions
No one wants to work in an unclean or unhygienic place, so your workplace should always be clean, not just during a pandemic. However, there are a lot of extra precautions that need to made in order to ensure your, your employees, and your customers’ health and safety. If employees feel that you aren’t meeting the standards of sanitation and precaution, they may end up quitting due to health concerns. Be sure to offer a lot of sanitizer, and equip your employees with masks. It’s also a good idea to screen everyone who enters the building. It’s a lot, I know. A safety protection checklist may come in handy.
Be honest and understanding
The top thing you need to focus on when trying to reduce employee turnover, is loyalty. Loyal employees are less likely to quit. If you’re not sure where to start, start by being honest. If you’re struggling with the business or you’re going to need to let people go, be honest about it and give your employees time to consider what is happening. You should also be understanding. You’ve had a tough time, but so have your employees. Don’t be a pushover, but maybe be slightly more lenient. For example, people who need to look after their kids all day may need to change their hours around a bit.
Counselling
The past year or so has been incredibly tough for most people. Many have had to say goodbye to their loved ones, or lost their houses due to financial strain. This can have very negative side-effects on people’s mental health. So bad, in fact, that they may quit their jobs. These feelings of stress and anxiety will only be worsened if they feel like their employer doesn’t care about them or their mental health. There are proven benefits to workplace counselling, and offering it to your employees may help them deal with some of their overwhelming feelings, as well as make them realize you care. Not everyone can afford mental healthcare, so if you are in a position to help your employees out, you should definitely consider it.
As a business owner, have you experienced a higher-employee turnover during the pandemic? Or, perhaps you’re an employee and you’ve left your job to start up on your own. Share your experiences with us below.
Leave a Reply