What if your top employees are walking out your door to look for “greener pastures”? Most of the workforce at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic chooses flexible working options for their career plans. So how do you plan to go about it?
The modern employee likes work flexibility since it provides comfortable and conducive environments for them to stay productive.
Furthermore, a recent study showed that 89% of organizations have better employee retention rates when they embrace the work-from-home or work-from-anywhere setup.
Indeed, flexible work hours are critical in the new world of work. Moreover, it’s one of the most effective employee retention tactics for work-life balance.
While remote work has its drawbacks, there are simple and cost-effective ways that managers can do to increase the retention rates of their companies. We’ve come up with the following steps from the best practices of successful organizations:
Schedule Frequent Virtual Huddles
Effective remote managers schedule frequent team huddles with their staff. The essential aspect is that this virtual huddle serves as a platform for two-way communication between the management and the team.
Virtual huddles make employees feel less isolated. One of the most common reasons people quit their jobs is because they are not receiving the professional fulfillment and growth they desire. Furthermore, those who felt unsupported, underestimated, or immaterial are likely to accept the calls of head-hunters for a new career opportunity.
A quick voice or video huddle may go a long way toward encouraging distributed teams to boost their morale. Most managers used collaboration platforms like Google Meet, Slack, Zoom, and Trello to communicate with their staff.
Allow Non-Work Social Interactions
Remote team managers arrange methods for their staff to engage socially with non-work topics from time to time. For example, some simple questions before the start of a meeting like “How do you do?” or “How’s your weekend?” may lessen the level of organizational churn and turnover.
There are always some tricky work topics to discuss in a meeting, but you don’t want every discussion to be uncomfortable and intense. While they want to maintain professional relationships, enthusiastic managers schedule informal video chats and calls for their teams. They find ways to recognize their work, appreciate their efforts, talk about their hobbies, and demonstrate genuine care for all of them.
Offer Emotional Support
Managers identify the fears and concerns of their team members and sympathize with their problems. Any signs like low productivity and frequent absences may convey stress and anxiety.
During the worldwide lockdown, both our physical and emotional well-being suffer from burnout. Employees need more than just sick leaves and health screenings. They also need a plan to protect their entire wellness. Sometimes they only need a tap on the shoulder, a listening ear, a genuine smile, or the smallest act of caring to turn their situations around.
Employees look up to their leaders as strong individuals who can guide them with all the challenges and adversities at work. Hence, acknowledging their stress and anxiety in difficult situations will uplift their self-esteem.
Prioritize Learning and Development
Employees leaving their companies due to a lack of Learning and Development (L&D) opportunities may impact your company’s reputation.
In this digital era, L&D is a continuous effort with new apps for work and collaboration used for businesses. Hence, most companies find it challenging to provide L&D to their distributed teams.
Managers should plan about L&D programs to pave the way to promotions and as an employee retention technique. A Linkedin report shows that 94% of the workforce stays longer if a company invests in their professional development. A good salary isn’t enough to keep your staff satisfied. They are more concerned with how they are treated and respected at work.
Final Thoughts
Take it with a grain of salt. Employees don’t leave their jobs. They leave bad management. At some point, your company will have to deal with the issue of retaining top employees.
A well-planned retention strategy motivates your remote team to perform at their best. As part of this strategy, you may consider having an Employer of Record services to ensure the welfare of your staff wherever they are. After all, a happy employee will stay longer with your organization.
Olivia Yu has decades of experience in the Human Resources industry. She’s the Regional Director for Asia Pacific of a famous international HR company. Olivia’s international experience inspires her to write articles about human resources and global staffing.
