As any business owner knows, hiring and training new team members can be a time-consuming and costly process, especially when compared to simply retaining staff.
In this blog we will explore how businesses can invest in their HR teams and empower them to improve staff wellbeing. This in turn helps improve staff retention, saving your business money in the long run.
How to bring the ‘human’ element into HR
1. Remember: it’s good to talk
Sometimes the simplest things are the most effective and nothing can pick up a person’s mood like a friendly chat. Just checking in with each of your team members for five minutes can really relieve stress and help people feel like they’re part of a supportive team. A friendly catch up can be extremely useful if your team is still working from home. Planning some video calls can help you connect with staff that are maybe feeling isolated in their home offices. These chats don’t need to be done one-to-one either: you can arrange group calls for a more sociable atmosphere.
2. Share positive feedback
Constructive and timely feedback is always important. If you want your employees to grow, improve, and become better at their jobs then offering useful feedback and guidance is a must. The end of a year is a great time for HR teams to share positive feedback with teams. Look back at your previous year and share all the good things people have done within the business. It’s a great time to reinforce how individual staff members have contributed to the bigger picture in your business and you can set out a broad strategy for things going forward into the next year. Letting employees know they’re valued, and how their role is helping the overall business to succeed is a really easy way to keep morale and enthusiasm high.
3. Be kind and humane to your employees
In the 21st century, employees value kindness and compassion. The day of the overbearing boss is largely over. People won’t stick around in your business if there’s a toxic atmosphere. A lack of compassion in the workplace can also lead to stress, anxiety and more absenteeism, so cultivating a supportive and kind environment in your office is a must. 5 people behind technology A guide to improving staff wellbeing & retention through your HR team
4. Be fair with your teams
Favouritism in the workplace is a sure fire way to cultivate resentment in your staff. So be fair with everything from pay and reward, development opportunities, and holiday requests. Preferencing one team or employee over another can lead to stress, anxiety and people dreading their time at work. This can lead to more sick days taken and less profitability for your business.
This blog was written by Phase 3, they are an exhibitor on the HRTech247 Consulting & Advisory Partner floor of the Partners Hall. You can visit their virtual space here.
