Human Resources and how to keep top staff

At Vitil Recrutement Services, Perth's boutique HR consulting specialist, we are asked for our advice on retaining key staff members. How do we keep our teams from resigning and what can we do to proactively retain them?

What are the top reasons for resignations?

Recent human resources research undertaken by LinkedIn, found that the majority of Australians in the workforce, left their employers due to their dissatisfaction with Senior Management. Although global human resources figures suggest it is due to the lack of career advancement opportunities within their current workplace, this rated as the second highest reason for Australians.

The third significant reason determined in the human resources research was that Australian workers were unsatisfied with the work environment and recruitment culture.

We have found in many Perth businesses, where there are highly skilled performers, they are often the ones who get promoted. Human resource studies show, however, that these skilled performers do not necessarily have the people skills to move to that next level and lead a team. People don't leave a job they leave a manager! This HR recruitment issue can be addressed.

So how can we avoid this trend in Perth today?

There are many ways we can address our staff looking for employment elsewhere and we'll consider each of the top three reasons, individually.

1. Unsatisfied with the leadership of Senior Management:

• If you have current managers who could do with greater insight into managing a team, send them on a leadership training program to provide them with the opportunity to improve their leadership skills and techniques.
• Consider a mentor / coach of which there are many in Perth. They can guide young leaders through some of their daily struggles and people interactions, providing a solid sounding board external to the company. Ask Vitil Human Resource Advisers if you would like to know more and we can recommend a coach.
• Utilise your HR Manager or outsourced Vitil Human Resource Advisor, to assist with answering questions and providing HR guidance on specific recruitment situations.
• Implement an informal human resources training program where fellow managers come together and have an open forum to discuss how to be an effective leader. Learning from peers in a supportive environment, and learning from each other's struggles, can be very insightful.
• Circulate human resources leadership articles that continually develops and challenges individuals.

2. Concerned about the lack of opportunities for advancement:

• Advertise all roles internally to allow team members to apply for positions. This promotes transparency and gives Perth company owners insight into who is seeking advancement.
• Implement an IDP (Individual Development Plan) for each team member. Gain their insight and input into their personal development needs and career aspirations. Develop a personalised program of advancement that they must commit to and take ownership of.
• Reconsider the promotions process your business goes through. Is it too task focused? Or are you rushing hire decisions? In our experience, it is far better to make the right hiring decision rather than the wrong one and have to performance manage, or have good human assets leave as a result of a poor promotion.
• Allow key team members the opportunity to be involved in projects outside their own functional specialty, gaining experience across business boundaries, making connections, seeing the bigger picture and learning new skills.

3. Unsatisfied with the work environment and culture:

• Make the time to engage with your team. Perth business owners need face to face time with team members to receive feedback, learn what is unsatisfactory about the work environment so that these may be addressed. Although not everything can be renovated or bought brand new, making some key changes or subtle alterations, can impact the team and demonstrate you are listening.
• Let go of toxic employees. This will greatly impact the work environment as well as the overall culture. Although this can be hard, it will have an enormous impact on the team. Talk to Vitil HR to learn how to objectively and fairly have the hard conversations.
• Have a 'break out' space where informal meetings can occur or team members can relax and unwind, or just have some social interaction where it does not disturb other employees at work.
• Create mid-week activities that brings the team together. It can be a team lunch or after work fitness sessions, ice cream socials or even Easter egg hunts, which will create fun and a social connection between team members and management. Bringing a team together to initiate and drive employee suggested events, will also further bond the team.
• Say 'Thank You.' Vitil's HR Advisers advocates that employee recognition done right, can transform and elevate an organisation.

Human Resource Consultants

Contact Vitil's experienced Recruitment Service Advisers for more information on how to create and grow a successful company where your people are at the core. Perth companies need happy, productive employees to be effective, therefore Perth SMEs need to consider each of these three areas listed to improve their employee retention rates and decrease staff turnover.

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