Every business knows that employee retention is key if you want your business to be successful. But with so many people leaving the workforce in the UK amid a cost-of-living crisis, businesses have to do better to keep their staff.
If you’re wondering how, the answer is simple: with good Human Resources!
How important are HR departments?
HR departments often go under the radar, but they’re essential in every business. HR helps you to get the right people, resolve conflicts, and empower employees to realise their potential.
Good HR departments reward contributors for their hard work – which in turn keeps people happy and employees satisfied. And happy employees seldom leave their jobs!
How to improve your HR
- Utilise software
Despite the costs of doing business rising in the UK, some things are worth the investment. HR software is one of them.
HR software is designed to free up the time of your HR department by automating tedious tasks like payroll, holiday requests, and absence tracking. By helping streamline time-consuming tasks like these, you free up your personnel to focus on other things.
For example, by taking payroll off someone’s plate, you could give them the breathing space to look at improving productivity, reviewing your benefits packages, or even thinking about employee engagement.
An HR system also means you can get access to all the information you need to resolve conflicts, at the touch of a button. Pretty nifty, huh!
- Promote wellness
Mental health must be taken seriously in any business wanting to keep its staff. Being able to offer employees in-house wellness and mental health initiatives can help them feel supported and safe at work.
If you end up hiring an in-house therapist, signs of quality include someone who has experience in workplace resolution and has their own therapists’ insurance.
Offer rewards
Employees want to feel valued. If they don’t, they’ll start looking for an employer that appreciates their contributions.
One way you can help employees feel valued is with rewards. Rather than just blindly picking out different rewards and incentives, it’s important to speak with your employees to find out what they’d like.
For example, you might find that most employees would love to have their gym membership paid for, courtesy of the company. Or you might find that they’d prefer a weekly team lunch, free cinema tickets, or even a company-wide trip!
Whatever you choose is up to you – just make sure that it’s a reward that your staff really want.
Final thoughts…
If you’re agonising about dwindling staff levels, reinventing your HR department is a good place to start.
Although doing the above all at once might seem daunting, any small steps you can take towards implementing rewards schemes, software, or well-being benefits can have a huge impact. Why not try it?
