It’s all very well to pat ourselves on the back for hiring good people. Ensuring we keep them, however, can be a major headache. According to the British Chamber of Commerce’s 2012 business climate survey, “the ability to retain staff ranks as the number two business concern”. And in Beijing, where competition for talent is ferocious, we face a daily battle. Here are my tips for holding on to your A-player employees:
Offer a competitive benefits package that fits their needs The key element here is to really understand what your employees needs are (aside from the money, of course). It doesn’t matter if you aren’t a major brand and you can’t compete in terms of salary: there are other ways to please employees. If someone in your company is an avid traveler, then providing them with a few additional days’ holiday every year could be just the ticket. Other perks could include a more flexible working schedule, or allowing them to spend some time working from home. If they drive into work each day, the day they can’t drive due to number plate constraints could be a work-from-home day. Providing empathetic options can go a long way in showing your staff that the company cares about them.
Train, train, train We have already covered this hot topic in my last two columns, but training really is the key to every employee’s development.
Future outlook Try to share with your staff as much as you can about the company’s plans for the future. If they know what they’re aiming for, they’ll feel invested in their work. Equally, however, listen to what they say, especially the most senior staff. Without them, you won’t have a company to take into the future.
Incentivize! Use internal competitions to help keep workers motivated and feeling rewarded. Done right, incentive programs can keep employees focused on and excited about their jobs. But be cautious: done badly, they can even hasten an employee’s departure. I’ve heard of a female executive who won an award for being the top producer at her company over five years. At the glitzy awards ceremony, she was presented with two tickets (for her and her husband) for a week-long holiday on safari – to see the big game in South Africa. Her husband was blind. She was distraught that she had been given this ‘prize’ by people who knew her personal circumstances. She never went on safari, but she did go to another company.
Promote and hire from within whenever you can You may need to think outside the box regarding internal moves, but keep an open mind, and listen to your staff’s aspirations. If someone wants to move from one department into another, don’t be reluctant to let them try. Alternatively, you might keep someone on even if they have to leave the country. Recently at Antal, one of our consultants ‘resigned’ on Monday, as she needs to leave China. I discovered that she had to move to Singapore, since her husband had just secured a job there. Now, rather than having her leave us altogether, she’s going to continue working with us in our Singapore branch – good news all around!
Provide a little something for free. Ice-creams during the summer while staff are stuck in the office and there’s 40°C heat outside? Free breakfast once a month provided in the office or canteen? (This, by the way, is a great way to get everyone in earlier and interacting with each other informally before the day starts). I have known companies to offer 10-minute head and shoulder massages (by qualified masseurs) at employees’ desks. These are just a few ideas that you could offer for free – I know I for one would be very keen on the latter!
Suggestion box? It is more difficult in China than in most other countries to create an environment where employees can freely express their thoughts and ideas. So, how about introducing a suggestion box in your office, canteen, or reception? Staff can then make their thoughts heard anonymously, without fears of damaging their relationships with colleagues or experiencing any other repercussions.
Get help If your organization is nearing 100 employees, you should start to think about hiring an HR Manager or Director. Having an HR department is critical to ensuring that all employees are treated fairly. They will also be able to provide advice on any changes in labor laws and government policies.
Manage expectations You have to ensure that employees know exactly what you expect of them. This may seem like an obvious one, but unless you have a very clearly defined job description then they will not know what you need them to do, and therefore might not be able to perform up to the standard you need them too. This is especially true of managers and directors! Don’t assume that those employees have a clear idea of what they need to do; as their new boss you should take responsibility to sit down with them and make sure that they know.
To summarize:
• Offer a competitive benefits package (not just in terms of salary)
• Show clearly how staff can get their next raise
• Train them, and keep training them
• Let them know what’s happening in the company
• Incentivize in the right way (remember the executive with the blind husband)
• Hire an HR person, or get your HR department to help
• Listen to your people
Sarah Jones is Head of Operations at Antal International, winner of “Best International Recruitment Agency” at the 2012 Recruiter Awards.