Better Workplaces

Encourage your employees to stay with your business by offering them working arrangements that allow them to maintain a healthy balance in their work and personal lives. It makes sense to keep good employees as they’re difficult (and expensive) to replace.

It’s easier to get employees to stay if you know what might tempt them to leave. You can gather this information using employee attitude surveys.

				Retain and support checklist
	Checklist			This checklist summarises key information about retaining and supporting employees.

Retaining employees

Every time you lose someone it costs you time and money. You also lose that person’s knowledge and skills. When you add up the costs of lost productivity, recruitment, induction, training and development, you’ll see that there are many good reasons to find ways to keep them working for you.

Why employees stay and why they leave

The following table describes factors that may influence employees to stay with their employer.

There are several reasons why an employee might decide to leave their employer:

• poor management
• unsatisfactory remuneration
• issues with immediate supervisors
• limited work-life balance
• unmet expectations.

Measuring your workforce turnover

Workforce turnover is the measurement of how many people leave the workplace (voluntarily and involuntarily) over a certain period. Regular monitoring of workforce turnover can highlight the cause behind the turnover and enable you to forecast it and plan for it. When you work out how much it costs your business when you lose employees you’ll realise that it can make good sense to invest in some employee retention strategies.

				Workforce turnover analysis template
	Template			This template assists in calculating your turnover rate and the associated cost.

Employee engagement

Your employees are more likely to stay with your business if they are highly committed and engaged with their work and you as an employer.

Engaged employees are:

• more creative and enthusiastic
• display initiative when dealing with customers and other stakeholders
• absent less often
• less likely to leave the business.

Many businesses try to achieve higher levels of employee engagement through effective communication, encouraging contribution and recognising performance.

Becoming an ’employer of choice’

Employers of choice are those that offer initiatives that are valued by employees. They attract more jobseekers and have lower turnover rates compared to other businesses.

Initiatives offered by the Tasmanian Department of Economic Development’s Employer of Choice finalists of 2007 include:

• attractive salary packaging options
• flexible work options and hours
• additional paid personal leave
• employee health and wellbeing initiatives
• leadership development programs and mentoring or coaching programs
• training and personal development opportunities
• recognition
• supporting events in the community
• fun social events.

Flexible work arrangements

Employees are better able to balance their work and personal interests and responsibilities when they have some choice over how, when and where they work.

Businesses who offer flexible workplace arrangements benefit by:

• attracting talented employees
• improved employee retention
• increased commitment
• improved productivity
• improved client service
• keeping knowledge in the workplace.
  
  

Their employees benefit from:

• improved motivation
• increased job satisfaction
• reduced stress levels
• improved work-life balance
• increased flexibility to undertake personal responsibilities or activities
• increased trust between manager and employee.
  
  

Flexible work arrangements may include:

• part-time work and/or job sharing
• paid parental leave
• flexible working hours
• additional annual leave
• rostered days off
• working from home
• time off in lieu
• study leave
• leave-without-pay provisions
• child care provisions
• phased retirement.