The post-pandemic recruitment recovery continues to be unstable as organisations battle it out over talent and try new ways to retain their valued employees.
This new found fierce competition for talent has forced employers to focus on their values, purpose and culture to differentiate themselves from competitors in the hope to drive talent acquisition.
The latest labour market data* shows payrolled employees are increasing monthly, and the growth in average total pay is 4.3%. But is it as clear cut as offering higher salaries to attract new employees and retain them in 2022?
Engage and listen to employees
There isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to understanding what employees want, but one thing is for sure – our priorities have changed because of Covid-19. If employees’ workplaces are entirely different from pre-pandemic, for example, do you have employees permanently working from home? Then, when was the last time you checked with them and asked them if they were happy with the work from home set-up? A recent survey conducted by CIPHR found that 82% of employees who work entirely from home say they have seen increased resignations.
This compares to 70 percent of those with a hybrid workforce and 54 per cent of employees who never work from home. Here at TurnerFox recruitment, we work closely with our clients to understand their industry challenges and what they need to thrive. Companies with employee culture as a top priority continue to shine as employees feel valued and know how they can flourish and thrive with a clear focus on purpose and culture. We’ve found over our 20 plus years of experience in recruitment, that employees who feel engaged and listened to are more productive and loyal.
Working from home
We’ve had many requests for flexible working, and in particular, working from home became a prerequisite. The new WFH desire has helped employers widen their geographical search area. However, as employers continue with the working from home culture they are finding it has had far less impact on their staff retention.
Retaining employees and becoming an attractive employer
All is not lost – many organisations have cancelled expensive office space to streamline costs, and the reality is Covid-19 debilitated businesses, and many can’t just fly out the office doors again. If employee retention has come to your attention and you are looking for ways to overcome the struggle, then here are our top tips:
- Offer flexible working. This doesn’t always mean working from home. This could be the hours worked, encourage shared working space, zoom work meetings or introduce walking meetings.
- All age apprenticeships: Many industries have reported employees as young as 50 have left the workplace entirely – being inspired by the pandemic and taking early retirement. There is an opportunity to entice these highly experienced employees back into the workplace by providing apprenticeships and giving them a new lease on life. Your organisation could benefit from a multigenerational workforce.
- Upskill existing employees: We are all guilty of overlooking the good when things are bad. If you have been so busy trying to recruit new talent, it may be time to look at your existing loyal staff members and offer them the opportunity to upskill and provide career progression.
The post-pandemic recruitment challenges doesn’t seem to be biased toward any industry. We understand recruiting continues to be difficult, and it can be frustrating. If you would like a listening ear to talk about your recruitment needs, we’d love to hear from you. A problem shared is a problem halved. We love recruitment! Contact us.
*https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/march2022