Attracting and Keeping Good Employees

WHY CAN’T I KEEP GOOD EMPLOYEES?

Have you ever asked yourself this question or been concerned about attracting good quality staff? Do you consistently spend time and money hiring and training people only to have them leave within a short period of time?

You are not alone if you have these concerns. Many business owners spend a great deal of time, effort, and money trying to find and keep good staff. After all, the people who work for you are the face of your business. The reasons behind this problem are numerous and sometimes we don’t realize what factors contribute to it.

Let’s look at a couple of things that might help.

As small business owners, we tend to focus on the day-to-day activities and problem-solving that comes with being a hands-on owner. We can all have bad days and staff often take their cues from the owner of the business. If we are not focused with a positive outlook and cheerful disposition, your staff may pick up on the negative vibes we give off. We need to lead by example regardless of the current situation.

I've read surveys that detail that good employees are generally more motivated and work harder when they're made to feel like they matter. For example, when their work is appreciated and their input is valued.

Many old-style bosses only speak to employees when they have found them doing something wrong. This becomes contact with a negative connotation. This can be approached from a positive learning perspective (for example: “Let’s fix the problem rather than fix blame”). After all, we're all human and we all make mistakes. Have you considered publicly acknowledging and rewarding a staff member when they've done something really well?

Most people work because they want to provide for themselves and their families. Taking an interest in your employees and taking the time to understand what their situation is may help form a more loyal employee/employer relationship. You don’t need to be their best friend but tips like this can help. 

One of the ways of showing interest is by providing a good employee benefits package. A good benefits package that takes care of the employee and their families may help inspire employees to keep their current jobs. Some employees may prefer to forgo a raise in favour of a benefits plan. Benefits plans can be customized with benefits to suit the business and there are numerous financial setups to meet budget constraints.

These are just a couple of methods I've seen business owners use to address the questions about attracting and keeping good employees. There are many other methods and leadership steps that are available. If you have any questions or comments, I would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact me at 250-668-8699 or email at [email protected].