RECENT reports show that almost half of workers plan to look for work in 2016, with one in five of them looking already.
Holding onto talent is a very real challenge for employers. Happy, engaged employees are key to running any successful business – they’re more productive, motivated and positively impact the reputation of your company. This enthusiasm is typically passed to other employees and reflected out to your customers.
Unfortunately, in the majority of cases, employers only discover an employee is unhappy once they’ve handed in their notice.
RECENT reports show that almost half of workers plan to look for work in 2016, with one in five of them looking already.
Holding onto talent is a very real challenge for employers. Happy, engaged employees are key to running any successful business – they’re more productive, motivated and positively impact the reputation of your company. This enthusiasm is typically passed to other employees and reflected out to your customers.
Unfortunately, in the majority of cases, employers only discover an employee is unhappy once they’ve handed in their notice. Great people are hard to find, so how might we spot talented but unhappy employees before it’s too late?
1. The standard of their work drops: If an employee stops meeting deadlines or submits poorer quality work, it could be that they are no longer committed, especially if you know them to be capable of better performance.
2. Their attitude deteriorates: When a person becomes disengaged, they can often become unhelpful and uncooperative when asked to take on a new task.
3. Increased lateness or absence: Arriving late, watching the clock, leaving on the dot and taking as much personal time as they possibly can get away with are all possible signs your employee doesn’t really want to be there.
4. They become secretive: Do they keep rushing out of the room to take phone calls? Are they often found whispering to their colleagues or booking days off at the last minute and being very vague about their reasons?
Retaining the best: There are many reasons that people leave their jobs. This can include poor management, not feeling valued, salary, lack of career progression or training opportunities.
If you’re concerned a member of staff is unhappy, try to find out the root cause of their issues and work out whether there is anything you can do to improve the situation. Communicating regularly means you should be able to catch and address any issues before they escalate. In many cases their reasons may be easy to resolve and you’ll be able to restore their motivation and save a valuable person for your company. By dealing with employee problems empathetically and professionally you may actually increase their motivation.
There will be times when this isn’t possible, in which case you can take steps to ensure that when the time comes, your employee leaves on good terms and you use it as an opportunity to find a brand new superstar for your business.
To find out more about how Ascendant Recruitment can help find new talent for your business, call 01604 439380 or visit www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk
