MightyRecruiterDuring the recent recession, it became easier for small businesses to recruit top talent that otherwise might have been out of reach due to salary requirements. As the economy recovers, hiring managers at some of these companies may have concerns over losing these workers to larger firms with larger budgets to spend on salaries. However, you can potentially prevent this if you focus on engaging top employees. Staff members who feel interested in and committed to their jobs are more likely to help the company thrive and stay at their positions for longer. If you aim for this as a goal, you will be able to reap big rewards with a minimal cost expenditure. Here are some proven ways to accomplish this.
Solicit Constructive Criticism
It can be difficult to hear negative feedback as a manager, but it is clear that the only way to improve is to get a handle on where you’re doing well and where you might be falling short. However, if you can foster an environment that actively asks for honest assessments, you can position yourself as a better employer and show gains in engaging top employees. Do this by making it clear that you’re invested in constantly developing your managerial skills and asking for areas where you could be doing things in a more productive manner. Take in any advice with an appreciative manner and with the goal of changing what might need work. Make sure your team knows that you care.
Build a Team
Employees who feel like true team members have an increased output and are more engrossed with their work. They also tend to stay longer in jobs, because it’s harder to leave a place where you feel like you’re a part of a team. Young employees in particular do better on projects completed in groups. Even if your workers are not generally doing collective tasks, you can foster a team environment by organizing social events that promote this, or organizing volunteer projects.
Check-in Regarding Tools Needed
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s one that is often overlooked: Make sure those working for you have all of the materials they need to adequately perform their job tasks. Do they have what they require, whether physical equipment or support via other staff members, in order to be as productive as possible? These needs will be constantly shifting, and may also vary depending on the particular worker who’s handling the responsibilities, so it’s important to repeat this regularly if you want to be engaging top employees.
Demonstrate Adaptability
One of the areas where it pays to be a small business in terms of engaging top employees is in the flexible nature of these workplaces in comparison to others. It’s difficult in larger organizations to be adjustable according to different team members’ needs. Firms employing fewer people are able to tailor requirements easier based on the unique details of each individual. Many workers would jump at the chance for perks such as working longer hours for a four-day workweek, or leaving early on certain days. If you want to be successful with this, make it clear that flexibility is contingent on the staff member accomplishing all tasks, and lay out rules and goals at the beginning.
Make Employee Development a Priority
Workers who don’t feel interested and engrossed often report the sentiment of being stagnant in their careers. Because of this, in order to keep engaging top employees, it’s necessary to consider whether your company is helping them grow professionally. To do this, you need to make sure you know what their goals are, first and foremost, before enabling opportunities for these aims to be achieved. Whether this means holding special classes onsite, facilitating travel to industry conferences, or other initiatives, will depend on the workers themselves. At some point, it might also involve promoting them to a position where they will have more responsibility.
Institute Retention-Based Rewards
It’s become more common for organizations, especially large ones with a substantial number of employees, to offer incentives depending on how long someone has been with the company. This might mean offering a company trip after a few years of work, or a six-week break after four years accrued. Six weeks may sound extensive, however, consider how long it takes and how much money it costs to recruit and train a brand-new worker. This shows your commitment to the personal and professional well-being of your employees, and also makes it more likely they will stick around for the reward. For more tips on keeping your workers happy and involved, check out the additional resources here on Mighty Recruiter.