In many industries, valuable candidates are in high demand. That is, companies want workers with both the right skill sets and personalities.
Many employers, whether in small businesses or larger organisations, are likely going to find it difficult to hire and retain staff. So what can be done? There are several approaches, which include offering training in frameworks like PRINCE2, putting remote working in place and focusing on the health of staff.
Doing so can make the workplace more attractive, and subsequently easier for employers to hire and retain candidates with the right skills and mind sets.
Put incentives in place
People love rewards, and this is something that translates well to the work environment, regardless of position. Offering bonuses for completing extra milestones can be a great way to incentivise staff success, whether monetary or something else entirely.
Companies want workers with both the right skill sets and personalities.
Inc explained that covering an additional percentage of health insurance premiums for staff that pass a set of biometric markers is also useful, for example having lower blood pressure or blood sugar. This leads on to our next point.
Focus on health
In this day and age, little else is as important as health for most people – and it's something that translates well in the workplace. While helping out with insurance premiums is a good step, companies can take this further by subsidising gym memberships and even running health programs.
A recent Roy Morgan Research study found that the nation's health is continuously improving, with the Australian Wellness Index reaching a new high in March of this year. However, while the organisation noted that work was still required to address mental health issues, businesses can play a crucial role in this trend.
"These latest results highlight the continuing need for national, targeted responses to address mental health issues. Australian women aged 18 to 24 have suffered the greatest decline in their psychological health since 2007," said Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine.
Understanding the health of workers prior to embarking on such endeavours could lead to better long-term health.
Consider working-from-home initiatives
Finally, in a move that many businesses are starting to invest in, consider working from home. As the name implies, this means allowing staff to carry out their normal tasks from either home or another location entirely. It's an idea that can mean great things for the business, as staff will be able to avoid lengthy commutes on days they're not required in the office, and also work from where they're actually needed.
For example, if a member of the team has a meeting in a distant city, they're able to work from a nearby cafe without losing time.
Caution is needed, however, as staff will need to be kept in the loop while outside of the main office. This means managers will need to start thinking about the usefulness of video communications and virtual meetings to keep the team on the same page.
Skilled and engaged employees are key to the success of a company, and employers cannot afford to let this aspect of business slip. With competition running high for skilled talent, now is the time to work on attracting and retaining staff members.
As explained above, it's important to start thinking about the best ways to attract and retain staff – and training can be an excellent option.
Allowing your team the opportunity to get up to speed with IT security training, for example, will help to ensure they're engaged at work.