Recruiting and retaining staff

Employees in the UK can find a million reasons to leave their current job.  (September 2021.)  That is the current number of vacancies in the jobs market.  Employers struggle to staff their business operations while managing recovery and growth.  In these extraordinary times the focus tends to be on attracting people into the business.  All that effort can be undermined, however, by high staff turnover.

Follow this link to read the latest about the UK jobs market from the BBC News web site. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58543554

These are the key messages in the BBC’s report:

• The number of vacancies in the three months to August rose above one million for the first time since records began in 2001.
• Figures also showed employee numbers were back at pre-Covid levels in August.
• Business groups said there was a risk that labour shortages would dampen growth.
• Overall, the unemployment rate fell from 4.7% to 4.6% in the three months to July.

Changing work patterns

This disturbing scenario for employers is further complicated by the fall-out from the Covid-19 pandemic.  Isolation and home-working changed employees’ perceptions of work patterns. 

A recent YouGov survey reveals the following:

• 57% of employees who were working before the outbreak and who intend to stay part of the workforce want to be able to continue working from home.
• This includes 18% who want to be able to work from home the whole time, and 39% who want to be able to work from home some of the time.
• Only four in ten (39%) say they don’t want to work from home once coronavirus is done.

Link to YouGov site:

Most workers want to work from home after COVID-19 | YouGov

Reward and recognition

The combination of a million job opportunities and a dispersed workforce presents a huge challenge to employers.  They must constantly engage with staff, keep them informed and motivated, maintain standards and recognise performance.

Reward and recognition are vital elements in the relationship between employers and their people.  This imperative applies equally to direct employees, contractors, channel partners and suppliers. 

Making recognition work

Remote working and external pressures on business operations make keeping people together even more important.  Live events are crucial to maintaining loyalty and commitment.  Employees and channel partners need to be informed, equipped and supported in their work.

Reward and recognition are essential for many reasons, including these:

• Recognition boosts morale and encourages effort.
• Recognition demonstrates the employee’s value.
• Recognition shows all employees that commitment is worthwhile.
• Reward acknowledges exceptional performance.
• Reward increases loyalty and long-term service.
• Reward celebrates success and increases confidence.