Employers hate to hear the phrase “I quit.” And yet, more and more business owners across the nation are in fact hearing those two dreaded words. In the midst of the Great Resignation, employees are leaving their jobs in droves. In November 2021 alone, over 4 million people left their jobs.
Among some of the key reasons spurring this trend have been increased individual flexibility along with the desire and opportunity to advance in one’s career. There are other reasons too of course, such as the rising cost of living in conjunction with wage stagnation, general job dissatisfaction, concerns regarding pandemic protocol and safety, the list goes on.
The question for many employers becomes, how do you create the type of workplace environment where your employees will want to stay. How do you foster an atmosphere conducive to better employee retention? How do you stem the “I quit”s in favor of the “I really love my job”s?
There are numerous factors that make it so that employees want to work for a company. Job satisfaction and overall happiness are paramount. What then is the key to creating the type of environment in which people are happy, in which they actually want to work, and in which they are satisfied with their role?
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What Makes Employees Stay with a Company?
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Developing the Right Kind of Company Culture
Company culture does have an impact on employee happiness, a pretty significant one at that. Beyond simply encompassing the mission and vision of the business, company culture is also about embracing the well-being of the people who work for you. It’s about trying to foster a work/life balance for your employees. And it is also about weeding out the toxic elements and thereby freeing the environment from negativity. By examining what type of company culture you currently have and deciding what might need to change and what steps you can take to introduce those changes, you help create a workplace where ultimately, employees will want to be.
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Recognizing Employee Efforts
Many people work very hard at their jobs. Employees can sometimes get mired in the daily grind of it all. And this is precisely why recognition really is important in terms of overall employee motivation and inspiration. When people know that they are doing a good job and are recognized and rewarded for it, they are generally motivated to stay on the same trajectory. They are inspired to want to do better, achieve more. If an employee is putting their all into their position without ever getting any form of recognition, frustration and resentment can grow and this may prompt to them quit.
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Knowing When to Address Employee Burnout
Feeling overworked is all too common. Once employees start to feel overwhelmed as well, this is when they may begin to demonstrate the symptoms of burnout. Being able to recognize these symptoms and then address them accordingly can help with overall employee retention. Make sure the lines of communication are open; that is to say, make the effort to regularly communicate with your team. This will not only give you insight into how they are feeling but also leaves the door open for them to come and talk to you. If you do witness an employee grappling with burnout, you might offer them some flex time. You could also perhaps organize an office event or activity that promotes fun. Whatever course of action you opt to take, do you so empathetically as you try and understand where the employee might be coming from.
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Making Your Workplace a Great Place to Work
While you may not be able to prevent employees from quitting, you can control what employees experience within your company. Some things you might try to help make your workplace a great place to work:
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Foster a greater sense of community.
Employees are very much a team. People spend a lot of time at work. They develop relationships. They become invested in one another. How can you even further foster this sense of teamwork? Perhaps you could organize team-building activities. You might have meals together, or you could host social events. Establishing a sense of camaraderie really can help you to create the type of workplace where employees want to stay.
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Allow for more flexible scheduling.
During the pandemic, many companies were forced to work remotely. What a number of organizations consequently found was that employees became even more productive. While going to a fully remote model might not be feasible, if there is room to allow for some flexibility in terms of location and/or scheduling, you may just find that employees are not only more productive but ultimately, happier with their jobs.
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Provide mentorship for employees.
Mentorship programs have been shown to not only help with employee retention but also such programs can offer a host of benefits that only serve to make your company stronger. Mentoring can promote diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Not to mention, by offering a mentorship program, you’re showing your team there is opportunity for growth and development. And among the key benefits of these kinds of programs is that you do have a better chance of keeping top talent happy.
Axcet is Here to Help
Our professional HR consultants understand the nuances associated with creating a dynamic work environment, the type of workplace where people actually want to be. If you have questions regarding how to foster employee relations and boost your employee retention rates, we can help. Call today and let’s get started.
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