In this day and age of the candidate run market where competition is stiff and great recruiters reign supreme, it can be difficult to know how to keep your star talent engaged and happy. We often hear that our clients want to treat their staff like adults, but what does that really mean?
We have compiled 5 ways that could appeal to and offer more flexibility in your workplace which could make your environment more attractive to your key players on your team.
Work From Wherever Works Best
Modern telecommunication software/tools coupled with a bit of infrastructural planning means it can be entirely possible to manage remote workers who prefer to interview, hunt, and gather from the comfort of their home or their bustling local coffee shop. Showing your employees that you respect their choice of conditions and environments that they feel make them most productive shows a level of flexibility that may be very attractive to some.
Self-driven Desk
Treating your employees like an adult starts with trust. There is no greater compliment to a high performer or new employee than giving them free range to conduct their business as they see fit. By trusting that they will perform without holding a magnifying glass up to their KPIs fosters an environment of goodwill not always found in the highly competitive world of recruitment. You can stand out as an employer by laying a foundation of trust and transparency on your expectations without drilling it into their heads at every given stage of the day. By eliminating this need for control you can observe more objectively your recruiters strengths/weaknesses and reward them/train them accordingly. Offering unlimited holiday for top performers who show good judgement can be a great work perk that ties good use of autonomy to reward.
Dress Code
This really is such a simple thing that you can offer no matter your business size and/or structure. It costs nothing to make a small change to your dress code policy and it is really an act of accomodation. Don’t get us wrong, you don’t have to tolerate anything that you deem unprofessional like ripped jeans, flip flops, or poor hygiene but by revisiting your policy to be more relaxed and inclusive of those who prefer to dress down when they are not at a client visit, shows that you are moving with the times by adapting a more flexible environment.
Tangible and Intangible Thank You Perks
A trend that is as old as time in the world of recruitment, rewarding performance is a great way to keep employees happy. If you have the budget for it, this might include a fabulously posh dinner, offsite retreat and/or cash bonus for a job well done. If you’re a small business that is getting your footing and cannot afford lavish gifts, worry not! You can still offer your gratitude with a thank you card containing a gift card for a massage, an extra day of paid time off, a better desk with a view, or even a feature on the company blog. Both tangible and intangible thank you perks are an investment you make in your talent whether it’s money, attention, or time that keeps them feeling valued and working hard.
Training Fund
Last but not least of all, is the investment you make in your employees desire for growth that shows a forward thinking, modern, and humane approach to recruitment. Offering a set yearly budget that can be applied to work-related training or other activities or reading materials that help them to learn or maintain focus and productivity is an excellent way to show your team that you understand how difficult the job is and want to support them. It doesn’t have to be a huge budget, even a couple of hundred pounds can communicate this.
All in all, the best thing you can do for your business is stay current and discuss regularly with your staff what a meaningful work perk looks like to them, their lifestyle, and happiness at work. A candid conversation about what motivates your top performers promotes retention which means less money spent on rehiring and training. It might take some time to make the transition to a fully flexible workplace, but we guarantee that if your intention is to keep your staff happy, every little step will be noticed and appreciated along the way.
