Can your office environment be changed to improve employee retention?

When someone is looking to start a new job, an important part of the criteria for many is to find a company that has a culture they feel they can grow in professionally. Both HR and the employee have the same goals, to find the right match. It is in each respective parties’ interest that the employee finds and settles into a job long term. This way, HR can save on recruitment, and the employee can settle into one job rather than jumping around different workplaces. Below are some tips on creating an office environment that will attract new talent and encourage employees to stay with you for the long term.

Investing in professional development

Having regular professional development sessions shows employees that you care about their growth and are an organisation that likes to help develop skill sets and nurture talent. Employees should be aware that these learning opportunities go hand in hand with new work challenges, and if they can rise to those challenges, then it could increase their chances for promotion.

If you can package new learning opportunities in this way then employees will look forward to training sessions and day conferences. Additional training helps employees to feel more secure in their job as well as increasing their value. Employees that feel as if they are being invested in and have new opportunities for growth and progression are much more likely to stay.

Different strokes for different folks

Each employee will have their unique way of working, but as long as the job gets done and employees are efficient, there is no need to question their styles. Young employees, for example, may have a more unconventional style of working than the more seasoned veterans.

Being open to new ideas means that employees can learn from one another and share new and better ways of doing things. This is particularly important given recent technological advances which has brought about many new web tools and online platforms designed for efficiency. Exploring new ideas and techniques will mean your employees have more tools at their disposal which will benefit their productivity.

Office environment and culture

The office environment and culture that you create should reflect the type of business you run and the employees you want to attract. For example, open-plan offices create a collaborative and friendly environment, whereas a closed-door office could appear much less inviting and create more of an independent culture. In any case, the work environment plays an important role in employee job satisfaction.

The little things make a big difference

Even little things like getting the temperature right so all employees are happy and no one is having to sit there in their coat in the winter! Having a small fridge full of free drinks and bowls of fruit show that you care about employee welfare. And having plants in the office are not only nice to look at, but they help to improve air quality and create a more salubrious environment.

Boosting employee morale

Employees look forward to a bit of downtime and opportunity to socialise throughout the day, so creating a nice and comfortable social/lunch space with some activities such as pool, ping pong or some board games and puzzles can give employees something enjoyable to do during their breaks as well as encourage them to bond and get to know each other better. All of these thoughtful little touches will help to boost morale, create an environment that employees enjoy working in, and improve productivity.

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Struggling with finding the right candidates for your business? Having problems with employee retention? MCS Group are specialists in recruitment and can guide you with expert advice targetted to your specific industry.

Get in contact with us on 028 90235 456 or visit www.mcsgroup.jobs