This is true in challenging climates where cutbacks may be imminent and in more positive times when an organisation is improving culture.
The way things are done in a workplace affects the perception of potential new hires and the likelihood of long-term employees sticking around.
So if you’re introducing changes in your workplace, here are four ways HR can help recruitment and retention.
- Apps
Clear communication is essential for keeping workers happy — if they’ve been let down by previous transformational promises, they might be cynical about buying into the latest plans.
But an employee engagement app like Officevibe provides HR with valuable rich data on employment satisfaction and engagement, gathered from anonymous weekly automated surveys and follow-up conversations.
It tracks trends on ten key engagement metrics and produces useful reports that make it east to spot potential problems and make amendments.
- Employee experience
Some traditional HR departments have fallen into the trap of acting as corporate enforcers instead of mediators and change agents.
This leaves disgruntled staff with no option but to seek help from external agencies like unions, when a more mature organisation could iron out difficulties in-house.
But employing a chief employee engagement officer means that there’s a human point of contact who cuts through bureaucratic red tape, and outdated concepts of rank, to meet the demands of workers and managers.
As a defender of company culture, this officer can also protect and promote values throughout the hierarchy.
- Events and entertainment
Events and entertainment aren’t included in most employees’ job descriptions and there are few things more off-putting than ‘forced fun’.
But introducing a social side to work in an organic manner can be productive — teams who feel comfortable enough in each other’s company to order in pizza once a week or start a workplace quiz are well motivated.
And there’s nothing wrong with HR organising regular formal events like annual awards ceremonies — they ensure staff feel valued.
A marquee equipment firm like Arcotherm can provide the specialist gear to facilitate an excellent outdoor party all year round.
- Benefits packages
We all need to pay bills — so salary’s naturally important.
But don’t underestimate the power of benefits — they can make the difference between keeping a valued employee and losing them to the competition.
An employee benefits package like Perkbox rewards high-performing workers with genuinely useful savings on supermarket shopping, high street stores, gym memberships, cinema tickets and even childcare tax relief.
As well as enhancing finances, these perks also have powerful emotional and physical benefits — which might increase a sense of employee trust and loyalty.
And many such schemes are more affordable to implement than you may think.
These four ways HR can help recruitment and retention prove that modern Human Resources requires a more varied skillset than ever.
Do you use any of these HR methods? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
