A recent report revealed that 21% of millennial employees have changed jobs within the past year. With so much turnover, many companies, managers and recruiters are desperately trying to understand how to retain employees. The ever-present increase in employee burnout, struggle with work-life balance, and elevated stress levels have caused companies to adapt into a more welcoming, modern work environment.
Workplaces that invest in employee incentivisation and incorporate relevant motivational techniques are starting to see just how valuable inspired employees are to a company. If you or your company are still struggling with employee retention, here are five ways to help inspire your employees.
- Modernize Company Culture
Every team member matters and everyone has their own value and skill. The more you can embrace everyone’s differences and skill sets, the more positive your company culture will be. Diversity and inclusion are important in company culture and can make or break how employees relate to their employer.
Make sure to give employees the ability to collaborate with one another. Committees, teams, panels, etc. should be made up of people of different backgrounds, ages, and departments. This brings the whole company together and brings in new opinions and mindsets. Recognition and appreciation should be given when appropriate. This can be through gifts, prizes or shoutouts on a company page. Utilize an employee engagement committee to help keep employees feeling engaged and valued.
- Provide A Fun Work Environment
Make the office fun and engaging – don’t make an employee feel like going into work is a chore. Offering telecommuting is a great way to give employees a flexible work environment, but make sure that the office is still a positive experience when they come in.
Don’t forget about employees whose roles require them to be in the office everyday. Offering spaces for relaxation, socialization and collaboration can improve a traditional office work space. Tech companies such as Google have been leaders in creating happy and productive workplaces by offering open spaces, gourmet cafeterias that serve free meals, snacks (healthy snacks promoted the most), a light atmosphere where employees can design their own desk area, and plenty of games to entertain employees. While this is one example of how a very large company provides a fun work environment, taking little pieces from this example can improve the environment. Happy hours, monthly catered lunches, or games hosted on-site can be ways to improve your culture. Make it authentic for your company and your employees.
- Assist in Professional Development
Allow room to grow, develop, and customize an employee’s career path. Not every employee needs to be developed in the same way so making sure you have multiple paths for employees is key. Employees should feel comfortable to grow in the company, which is easier in an inclusive environment.
Another great option to offer is ongoing education, training, or classes. Do you have a tuition reimbursement program or an internal education program? Another way to help encourage ongoing education is tying an incentive to industry certifications. Whether it is extra paid time off or a bonus for receiving a degree, certification, or designation. Make sure employees not only know the options for continuing education, but the benefits.
Eliminate routine; employees may not enjoy a Groundhog Day type of career. Keep daily tasks fresh so the employee is always learning. Posting quick tips about things like benefits, wellness and education can help employees feel less overwhelmed about resources and development. Learning from those ‘above you’ can be inspiring in itself. Consider using a buddy system or mentors. Around 90% of employees who have a mentor report being happy in their job, according to a recent survey by CNBC and Survey Monkey. Mentoring programs also improve retention, productivity and engagement.
- Encourage Team Bonding
Team bonding is another way to inspire employees. While team bonding in the workplace during work hours can be influential, continuing the connections in a less formal setting helps to a greater degree. Happy hours, game nights, get togethers and retreats are all ways to build trust, actual relationships and meaningful interpersonal connections..
Usually what people miss when they leave a job is the coworkers, not the actual job. This is because a sense of togetherness has positive impacts on company culture. Employees need a network to grow and be satisfied with their job. Bonding with your team can also help ground employees and help them perform at their best. You are less likely to be okay disappointing someone you know and have a relationship with compared to a stranger. This can only improve team dynamics and the success of a business.
- Prioritize Work-Life Balance
Employees are increasingly looking for hybrid work opportunities. The traditional office job no longer appeals to most employees. Offering hybrid work shows trust, helps reduce burnout and is an attractive benefit for prospective employees. If salaries and benefits are similar between two offers for a candidate, they will more than likely choose the company with a greater work-life balance.
Hybrid work also encourages taking time off – mental health days, vacation, etc. This helps keep employees engaged because they have lower stress levels and know that they can have balance in their life. When taking time off is encouraged, they don’t have to sacrifice their career to take vacations. Employees who consistently take their paid time off are more productive, engaged and creative. Companies will only see positive results from employees being shown that work-life balance is a priority. Show that you care about your employees well-being by living the example of work-life balance and making them feel comfortable to take that time off. Employees who feel valued and cared for also put in more effort than employees who don’t.
You can get the most out of your employees and maximize your company’s potential by seeing your employees for their true unique selves. Visit our library of free resources available at societyinsurance.com to learn more.