Got an outstanding staff member? Here’s how to retain them.
While average employees who’ll clock in every day and do the bare minimum are everywhere to be found, extraordinary staff members who regularly go above and beyond and demonstrate passion and initiative in everything they do are decidedly more difficult to come by. And as all good employers know, a great staff member will bring your business more growth and success than ten average ones.
But studies show that at any given time, one in five employees are looking for a new job. So how do you hold onto a great employee?
1. Be flexible
In a recent study of over 400 employees, 37 per cent of staff members stated ‘flexible working arrangements’ as the number one reason for staying in a job, overshadowing both pay rises and further training. Rigid 9-5 hours are becoming a thing of the past as staff members demand greater work-life balance, so don’t lose an outstanding staff member simply because of outdated thinking. Instead, look at ways to reshuffle your roster so it works for your staff; the best employees will be worth the compromise.
2. Offer support
Or more specifically, show your support by providing your staff with the resources they need to succeed. Has your head therapist been asking for you to upgrade her wax heater for months? Have staff been complaining about needing a bigger range of skincare products in the treatment room to perform better facials? Whatever it is, don’t delay acting on their requests. Ignored or fobbed of requests for support are a sure-fire way to make an employee consider their options elsewhere.
3. Give credit when it’s due
Sounds easy, but “I wasn’t recognised for my work” is a common complaint in HR exit interviews. Though it can be challenging to individually praise staff members for each and every one of their achievements when you have a large team, making an effort to recognise good work where possible will go a long way toward making top employees want to keep going above and beyond the call of duty.
4. Acknowledge their existence
In large businesses, it’s not uncommon for staff to feel as though they don’t exist to you, and feeling like your very presence doesn’t matter is a fast-track to throwing in the towel, so take the time to recognise new staff members when they start, even if it’s a simple verbal greeting and a handshake, then acknowledge them verbally by name whenever you see them around the salon.
5. Back their skills
Distrust your employees’ ability to perform their job by attempting to interfere with and manage every task they do is a guaranteed route to a high staff turnover, because if there’s anything employees hate more, it’s being micro-managed. So trust in your judgement skills during the hiring process, and hold second and third round interviews if it helps, but then have faith that you’ve picked the right person for the job, and give them the freedom to soar to success without being micro-managed.
6. Lower stress
Stress in the workplace can be insidious and lethal to staff retention and productivity, leading to illness, absenteeism and ultimately, resignation. And while a small amount of ‘healthy’ stress is to be expected with most jobs, workplaces should look to stop stress levels from getting excessive by actively implementing stress reduction strategies. These can be as simple as assisting staff members who request support, restructuring someone’s workload so they’re not overwhelmed, or offering the ability to work flexible hours.
Have your say: What do you do to make your staff feel valued?