Improve motivation and retain your staff!
Employers must do more to address the problems of de-motivated staff or risk them leaving, according to Investors in People (IiP).
An IiP survey of 3,000 UK staff found that 30 per cent of employees in SMEs are de-motivated, with 43 per cent of them considering leaving their job in the next 12 months.
The main reasons for quitting included: an unreasonable workload, feeling underpaid or lack of a clear career path.
“Employers must stay alert to the signs of employee de-motivation and take action to address it — those that don’t risk losing valuable talent and experience,” said IiP chief executive Simon Jones.
“Employees want better support from their managers, alongside clear and effective feedback on their performance,” he added. “This support is vital when it comes to mapping out career paths and identifying relevant training and development. Without it, employees are likely to drift and depart rather than stay engaged with their organisation’s objectives.”
IiP offered employers the following advice on retaining staff:
• Keep in regular contact with employees so any issues or concerns are identified early on and action can be taken. Spotting problems early will make it easier to resolve them, and keep employees motivated and engaged.
• Managers need to encourage employees to be honest about what they want from their job and the development opportunities they are looking for.
• Take a collaborative approach towards setting objectives, mapping out career paths and identifying relevant training and development. It shouldn’t be a one-way street and employees should take ownership of their career, rather than waiting to be told what to do.
• People are often nervous about opening up to their boss and it is important for managers to build up a level of trust and understanding and create an environment where employees feel able to be honest.
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