Hiring and retaining the best talent is a concern for small businesses and large corporations alike. If you notice there seems to be a trend of less-than-stellar applicants or high turnover of employees, there may be underlying problems you should consider fixing.

Lack Of Competitive Wages

It is important to know the wages for similar positions at other companies in your area and in other localities. Having competitive wages is not always about the what an employee makes, but what they make in comparison to the cost of living in a specific area. When you are competing against other companies in the area for the best talent, what you offer employees should at least be on par with their salary or if your salary is lower, a better benefits package might be enough to win people over. Companies in small cities or less populated areas may need to sell the cost of living to rationalize a lower salary. Many people looking for employment will be lured by larger cities because there are usually more job opportunities, but the cost of living can be exuberant.

Low Morale

You may have a high turnover for employees due to low morale. It is important to regularly survey your employees to find out any problems about the work environment that can make it difficult to find new employees or retain the ones you have. You might choose to do an anonymous survey at least once per year and ask how employees feel about their work environment and what they want changed. Low morale can be caused by many problems, especially if employees who have difficulties performing their job functions due to inadequate supplies or unclear instructions or an inability to advance within the company.

Poor Conflict Resolution

Every company needs to have measures in place to prevent or effectively handle conflict that may occur in the workplace. This may include issues between employees or conflict between an employee and supervision. When employees do not have a safe place to address their concerns without fear of retaliation, it can reflect poorly on your company. It is important to have regular workshops for new hires and current employees regarding appropriate workplace behavior and who they contact if there are concerns. Part of dealing with conflict may involve having mediator available that is a neutral third-party. Additionally, accusations of more serious offenses, such as discriminatory practices, sexual harassment, or workplace aggression, should not be overlooked. If these accusations are found to be true, there should be swift and appropriate punishments in place to not only deal with the problem, but to make the work environment hospitable.

Usually there is a reason some companies cannot attract or retain good employees. Being honest with yourself and recognizing there is a problem is the first step in making significant changes. Contact a consultant, like HYE CLASS TALENT HR, for help.

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