Losing hardworking, dedicated and experienced people can be tough. Not only can this damage your ongoing projects and cost your business money, but the departure of great employees can also cause additional work and stress for your existing workforce. To help you keep your best people, here are a few tips on how to reduce employee turnover.
Improve Communication with Onsite Workers
Poor communication between head office and onsite workers is a roadblock standing in the way of great employee engagement. Most people want to be kept up-to-date on what’s going on with their employer. To remove this roadblock, management should give everyone the opportunity to keep up with the latest company developments and news so that they’re more involved in their business’s future. One example would be to use electronic newsletters to keep people updated on notable events and achievements.
It’s also important to note that great communication is a two-way street. So, managers need to ensure that frequent and open conversations are taking place between them and their employees. Toolbox talks are fantastic ways to ensure onsite workers are participating in keeping their workplaces safe, but these regular meetings can also be used to listen to employees’ concerns and feedback that go beyond just health and safety. It’s not always easy to give honest feedback directly to your manager so be sure to provide alternative options such as anonymous engagement surveys as well.
Provide Safe and Comfortable Working Conditions
As set out by the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, everyone should get to return home safe and sound after work. Although every person has a role to play, you as the employer, are primarily responsible for ensuring the safety of each individual onsite. However, providing a safe workplace is only half the battle. To go a step further and ensure your employees enjoy where they work, you need to provide a comfortable, as well as safe, worksite. For example, installing a facility that allows your workers to get out of the sun and stay hydrated during the summer months, or to warm up during the winter will enhance the comfort of your onsite employees. For more advice on this topic, check out our blog on how to create a positive and supportive workplace for everyone.
Develop Your Workers
Even if you provide great working conditions, if you don’t foster your employees’ careers it won’t be long until your best people are back in the market for a new job. To avoid this, sit down with your employees and find out where they want to take their careers. Then, put measures in place that enable your workforce to acquire the skills, qualifications and licences they need to move forward. At the same time, make sure your employees are aware of any internal promotions that could help them achieve their career goals. If you show your workers that you’re as invested in their career development as they are, they’ll be far more likely to invest their futures in your business.
Provide a Competitive Salary
Next is remuneration. Engaged employees are, amongst other things, paid well. Paying someone below their market value can send the message that their work might not be valued or important. So, providing a competitive salary that is above market value can be a great way to prevent your workers from leaving to take higher paid work. If you need help with discovering what the average market rate is for certain job roles, get in touch with one of our consultants.
Don’t Forget About Your Temporary Workforce
If you have great workers, the best way to keep them is to keep them working – extend their assignment, or consider a more permanent arrangement. Great people don’t sit around waiting for their next role, they’re in high demand and your temporary staff are no exception. If they’ve finished one assignment within your business, think ahead – do you have anyone else going on leave, or any other projects coming up that may require temporary support?
Summary
Losing a great employee due to poor engagement can be costly for your business and in most cases, this loss can be avoided. When it comes to keeping your best workers, providing safe and comfortable working conditions, clear communication, development opportunities and competitive remuneration are key. If you need further advice on this subject or require great tradespeople or other skilled professionals for your projects, contact us today.
