After more than a year of on again, off again lockdowns, furlough schemes and fears about the future of your business, are you finally getting ready to welcome employees back to the office?
It can’t be ‘business as usual’ because it’s likely that even employees not directly affected by Covid-19 will have a different perspective on life/work balance and they’ll expect their leaders to have rethought the company philosophy too.
Some corporate commentators are predicting a ‘Great Resignation’ whereby disgruntles employees quit their jobs en masse and either move on to new, more enlightened firms, work for themselves or return to education.
If you value your staff, there are moves you can make to mitigate against this – we’ve gathered together three ways to counter the great resignation so that you can take action now.
1. Show gratitude
If you’ve been a bit of a top-down, autocratic leader previously and set high demands of staff as you scale your firm, now is definitely the time to take a culture temperature check.
For challenger companies to grow and sustain global success, you need to implement a more mature, sophisticated, servant leader style – as firms like Brewdog are finding out now to their cost.
It starts with showing gratitude – not just with words, but with how you treat the people who have helped you succeed.
2. Offer valuable support
The days of trendy employee ‘perks’ like ping-pong tables and fresh fruit are over. Employees want support in their lives and careers that really makes a difference.
You can start with staff development programmes which allow your people to earn vocational qualifications and don’t always rely on free online resources. Then add further value with a solid health and pension plan, plus free financial guidance – as the NHS has done with Fintuity.
Employees with families will also appreciate the option of a 4-day working week or another type of flexible work plan.
3. Revamp physical environment
The physical office environment can have a tangible effect on employee mood and performance.
So if you haven’t already done so, now’s the ideal time to revamp your exteriors and interiors. Working in an ambient, airy space with lots of natural light helps, but since the first thing everyone sees when they arrive is the front of your building, make sure that it’s spick and span.
You don’t need shell out a fortune to fix your façade – K-Rend from Direct Building Products for instance, is a long-lasting product that’s easily applied and transforms your look.
So there you have them – three terrific ways to counter the Great Resignation and keep a hold of your valuable employees.
By putting the right culture and benefits in place, and improving your environment, you’ll future proof your firm for tough times ahead and prepare yourself for sustainable success.
