They say that good business is all about hiring the right people, then leaving them to it. But there is more to it these days to retain good staff. So how do you ensure you get maximum engagement and retention out of your staff to avoid them leaving?

According to Gallup Research, just 13% of employees are engaged in their jobs, on average. Having the ability to improve that figure for your business equals strong returns.

When employees are engaged they are emotionally invested in their work and focused on creating value within their organisations.

Signs of an engaged workforce include:

• Open and constructive communication that is less about commentary and more about driving a business
• Helping to make the work environment a positive experience for others
• Able to think and talk ‘big picture’
• Sharing strategies for constant improvement
• Seeking ways to improve, both personally and professionally
• An ability to fill roles internally, reducing turnover and ongoing recruitment costs

Here are some suggestions on tactics to help improve employee engagement in your business:

• Foster meaningful work for employees

Ever notice that you’re more motivated to work when you can see the impact of it on a business? Michael Page suggests that the simple act of communicating to your employees how their work affects the bottom line will impact their engagement with their work. Similarly, allowing them to work autonomously and taking ownership for their work will improve their engagement.

• Recognise great performance with a personalised note

One of the benefits of working in the digital age is that a personalised note is so rare, it holds great meaning for many people. A handwritten note given to employees to thank them for a job well done can be a significant reward for staff members.

• Flexible Working Arrangements

Depending on the culture of your organisation, flexible working arrangements (FWA) can be viewed as a perk or the status quo. For many employers, FWA is a low cost ability to increase staff retention and reduce absenteeism, According to Employment Hero, FWA can include a number of considerations:

• • Working remotely
  • Compression of hours
  • Flexibility of hours/days
  • Job sharing
• Employee Benefits

Many organisations provide discounts and offers for employees relating to products and services. These offers don’t financially impact the business and many organisations are motivated to increase their clientele. Some of these offers include:

• • Discounted gym membership
  • Discounted Health Insurance
  • Competitive rates of personal loans and mortgages
• Have an employee voice

E-Front Learning suggests ensuring that employees feel that their opinions are heard and reflected in the business. It’s advisable that regular surveys (online and anonymous) are held with a process of feeding the findings into the business with actionable results.

If your business requires support implementing employee engagement strategies, speak to the HR Consulting team at Flexi Personnel.