Attract and Retain Top Talent  

Jobs are scarce, but so is talent. Even though our work environments have changed drastically, with the incorporation of cloud-based offices and more flexibility, employers are still losing talent at an alarming rate.  The younger workforce is not as loyal because they keep chasing career goals. Not only that, but companies who are serious about recruiting talent will go to extra lengths to make the job as attractive as possible. This makes it difficult for smaller companies to retain talent.  But the truth is, higher pay and generous perks don’t always cut it.   

Margaret Rogers is a Harvard Business Review writer who shares her insights on how training and education can help you keep your talent.  

Training and Education  

According to the latest research, it seems that employees stay when their skill development can be taken care of. Many companies offer yearly training advances for employees ranging from a few hundred Rands to thousands of Rands. Employees who feel their skills are being developed feel more compelled to stay with the company that encouraged it in the first place. This benefits everybody.   

To make this process successful, Margaret says employers can ask start by asking employees more questions to gain insights. “Empathy and understanding are fundamental principles of user-centred design. Just like a business must understand what its customers need to produce the most useful products, managers must understand what their employees need to give them ideal learning opportunities. Asking questions is the best way to do this”.  

In House Opportunities   

Once employers have identified what their employees need to succeed, they need to look for opportunities to help employees develop. Classroom style training is a thing of the past – even in a virtual setting. “Learning moments” as Margaret call them is when an opportunity arises where managers can teach their employees something new and interesting – right off the bat. For example, when an employee wants to talk to a manager about a problem they have with a co-worker, managers can identify it as a “learning moment” to educate and support the employee.   

“Treating every challenge your employees faces as an opportunity for practice and growth — whether it is something personal, like improving communication skills, or practical, like learning a new technology — is critical to establishing an environment in which people believe they are valued enough as individuals to be given the time and space to flourish”.  

Vary Learning Experiences  

Employees are not all on the same experience level, even if they work in the same departments. Some may be more experienced and this too should be considered carefully. Strategically partnering your less experienced staff with experienced staff could be a great ice-breaker. It allows employees to learn from their experienced peers.   

Margaret says,” It’s important to save the most significant opportunities for those who are ready. These have higher stakes — for the employee, the project, and the company at large.  

Let HOMEMAKERS’ help you create the best work environment for your staff. Get inspired here.