Want To Know What Really Matters To Your People?

Staff retention is a critical concern for organizations. High employee turnover not only leads to unplanned costs associated with recruitment and training but also hampers productivity and morale within the workplace. 

To address this challenge, it is crucial for employers to understand what truly matters to their employees and take proactive steps to meet their needs. The most effective strategy is to ask employees directly about their priorities and concerns. It is unwise, and a common mistake, to make such assumptions on their behalf.

By seeking employees’ input on what matters to them, organizations can create a more fulfilling work environment that fosters loyalty, engagement, and ultimately boosts staff retention. 

Here are some of the benefits of asking employees what aspects of their work life are important to them and some practical tips on how to go about it:

Create a Culture of Open Communication

Establishing an environment where open communication is encouraged is the first step towards understanding your employees' needs. Remind employees regularly that they can feel comfortable expressing their opinions, ideas, and concerns without fear of reprisal. 

Embed a two-way anonymous communication channel in your business that allows employees to simply state what is, and what is not, important to them. Don’t make assumptions. 

Just because the organization may consider initiatives A, B & C as the most important for the wellbeing of its people, those same folk may disagree! 

Additionally, these initiatives, such as after work events, perks, rewards or providing a fancy working environment could cost a lot of money to resource but are simply not motivators for their people. So how do you know if you don’t ask?

Conduct Employee Surveys

Design surveys that cover a range of topics, including recognition, opportunity for growth, work-life balance, compensation, benefits, and workplace culture and allow the employee to rate how important each is to them. It can be quite an eye-opener to the leadership team to see what actually motivates their people and where their priorities lie. Again, if you don’t ask, how can you know?

Use a combination of closed-ended questions (or “factors”) for quantitative data (making it easy to run real-time insight and trend reports) and open-ended questions to gather qualitative feedback and suggestions. 

Armed with this information, it is much easier to plan and build more meaningful strategies for the benefit of your people. And this shouldn’t be a one-off exercise; go back to your employees to ask, “How are we doing?” and make any tweaks or changes to hone and refine the plans.

Conduct Stay Interviews

Stay interviews are an excellent tool for understanding the motivations and needs of employees who have chosen to stay with your organization. This can be a very useful way to identify factors that contribute to their loyalty. 

You can also use this opportunity to provide personalized support, address concerns, and explore growth opportunities.

Act on the Feedback Received

Collecting employee feedback is just the first step; it is vital to act upon it. Analyse the data gathered to identify common themes, priorities, and areas for improvement. 

Develop action plans and, very importantly, communicate the steps that you are taking to address employee concerns. Regularly update employees on the progress made to demonstrate that their feedback is being heard and taken seriously.

To enhance staff retention and build a thriving workplace culture, organizations must actively seek input to find out what is important to their employees. 

By implementing strategies such as employee surveys, stay interviews, and fostering open communication channels, organizations can gain valuable insights into what matters most to their workforce. Armed with this knowledge, employers can make informed decisions, create meaningful changes, and develop strategies that cater to the needs and aspirations of their employees. 

Ultimately, by prioritizing employee feedback to understand engagement, satisfaction and priorities, all organizations can increase staff retention, foster a loyal workforce, and create a competitive advantage in the talent market.

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Measure what matters to your people with Thymometrics' feedback platform. Email us at hello@thymometrics.com or call 01223 750 251. 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.