Has your company become more of a revolving door for new hires than a productive place of business? If you’re struggling to retain employees, here are some factors that might point to the mystery behind those high turnover rates.
Low compensation
Everyone needs to start somewhere but depending on the work, the conditions, and the personal sacrifice the job requires, a low-paying position that offers little reward won’t be sustainable in the long-term. If you can’t afford to increase pay, there are lots of other ways to improve working conditions, such as by recognizing employees through verbal praise, having an open-door policy for questions or concerns, paying consideration to their personal needs, and providing opportunities to advance in the future.
Poor work/life balance
It’s inevitable — some jobs simply require workers to work more. New hires on the frontlines of a restaurant, a retail store, or any service establishment are expected to pull their weight, sacrificing personal time for work when demand necessitates it. Employment within these industries is contingent on the willingness of workers to come in off-hours, cover an extra shift, and work overtime. Not paying attention to your employees’ private needs could lead to a diminished personal life and very quickly cause employee burnout.
Overscheduling
This goes hand in hand with what we mentioned above. When employees are overscheduled and not given enough rest time, not only does their work performance begin to take a toll, they’re stretched to their limit mentally and physically. It may be difficult to balance your employees’ needs with your scheduling needs, but if times are tough, you may want to look into hiring additional workers to take the burden off your existing employees. If that’s not possible, try to schedule even-handedly and spread the load as fairly as you can.
Favoritism
Most leaders rely on existing employees to train and delegate new recruits, trusting in their experience to transfer knowledge and build a skilled team. However, it isn’t uncommon for new employees to be given grunt work, the worst shifts, and the responsibilities no one else wants to take care of. Favoritism is an insidious practice that only serves those who it favors. Delegating the worst tasks to new employees may be looked on as a rite of passage, but it is unjust and certainly leads to high turnover.
Lax enforcement of labor rules
Employees have rights, like being provided timely payment of wages, meal and rest breaks when the law requires it, and a timekeeping system that accurately counts and tracks their worked time. Lax enforcement of these labor rules creates a tense environment for the workers who are being short-changed, not to mention could possibly lead to a Department of Labor (DOL) investigation. In order to lead fairly and effectively, it’s important to comply with local and federal regulations.
Once you get to the heart of the issue(s), you can develop and implement solutions that will better your workforce and hopefully, get employees to stick around and commit to your business.