You’ve probably noticed that it’s super hard to recruit new employees in the current hiring market. So many companies are looking for talent – so it pretty much became a job seekers market. Other than looking for new talented employees, it’s also very important to retain the ones you already have. Losing employees can have a big impact on your company and your revenue! But how do you do that exactly?
Focus on the big things
Many employers try to make their workplace fun nowadays – ping pong tables, Friday drinks and sleeping pods seem to appear in so many job vacancies. But while these are fun extras, no one really cares about them. Lots of research shows that job seekers search for the ‘big things’. First of all: recognition of their value and time for (personal) growth. Second of all: a nice working environment and a company that’s preferably not too far away from where they live. And since the COVID-19 pandemic, many job seekers also realize how incredibly important it is to have a workplace that’s flexible enough about where and when they work.
So it’s always a good idea to be clear in your job description about what the job entails to attract new talent. But don’t forget your current employees: they also want these things!
Push and pull factors
Have you ever heard of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors? These are the elements that contribute to your employee retention. Some aren’t within your control… but many are and it’s linked to the ‘big things’ you offer.
Push factors are things that ‘push’ people towards a different position. For instance: poor compensation, little or no growth opportunities, lack of flexibility, poor work-life balance and more.
Pull factors are reasons why your employees might be interested in joining another organization. Think of better compensation, the fact that the new job is more aligned with their interests, more growth opportunities, a better company culture or the fact that the new job is closer to their home. Or a different way of working – for instance they want to work ‘lean’ (Dutch: lean werken) and are done with jobs that are too bureaucratic.
And now what?
Maybe you wonder what that has to do with you. Well – the things that attract new employees are also super important for your current employees and can be big reasons to retain them. For instance growth opportunities and the fact that employees enjoy their job. You can for instance choose for organizational growth training (Dutch: organisatie ontwikkeling) to obtain this.
If you notice your employees keep on leaving, it’s a clear sign something needs to be done. Luckily there are multiple companies on the market that can help you out with training and guidance! Good luck!
