By Sara Cohen, Chief People Officer at Forsta
The post-pandemic business landscape has brought unprecedented change to how organisations are expected to operate, and we have seen a major re-evaluation of practices, culture and structure across workforces and industries alike. One change that has not only altered business values, but the power dynamic of the job market itself, has been the Great Resignation. We have seen employees switch organisations, roles and career paths at an unprecedented rate, with a recent study by ADP finding that 71% of workers have contemplated a major career move already this year. The UK job market recently hit a point at which there were more jobs than job-seekers – signalling how difficult the battle is to retain talent across the board.
There is a clear message to every business, corporation and organisation out there – we must do more. That is, however, easier said than done. At Forsta, we work to power the tools companies use to gather, analyse and identify the data needed to improve employee experience – and in our years of experience, we have come to find insight into just what companies need to do to fight the dark cloud of resignation.
Create an employer brand
From both a recruitment and retention point of view, the employer brand is perhaps the most important tool in the fight to recruit and retain. Creating a great employer brand essentially means ensuring that your organisation is a great place to work. By focusing resources on this, a lot of the other pieces will begin to fall into place. Putting your employees and employee engagement at the heart of business decisions shows not only that you care about your employees, but that you are focused on elevating them. Communication, support, team building and a workforce-centric culture all go a long way to helping your talent see that your business is the place to be.
The power of data
Identifying what needs to change is the first, and often the most difficult, step-in transformation. By gathering data, you can identify exactly what you are doing right, as well as what you are doing wrong. Employee surveys, built around your culture and practices, can help you diagnose your business issues and gather the information needed from the people you need it from – allowing your decisions to be evidence-backed. Using solidly supported insight is always more time and risk-averse than diving in without anything to back yourself up.
Using the right data in the right way is also something to consider. At Forsta, we have been using our data to improve our eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) – and have boosted our score by 29 points, which is a great indicator that we are moving in the right direction. This is just one metric that you can use to push your business to the next level. With the vast amounts of information, you can gather, the sky is the limit.
Employee wellbeing
Employee wellbeing should be more than just a buzzword. The pandemic has put personal wellbeing at the forefront of the mind and has made us realise just how vital it is to feel supported in every aspect of our lives. The workplace should be a safe space in which employees feel valued and secure. If an organisation cannot supply these basic necessities, not only will your engagement and performance suffer, but so too will the individuals that make your organisation what it is.
Looking after your workforce means a lot of things and should be both formally and informally addressed in your culture. My team has been able to find success in the rollout of our global employee support program by using regional data to provide tailored, local-language mental health resources on a country and market-specific basis. In addition to these types of programmes, it is important that your management is flexible and equitable, giving employees the tools to tailor their experience to their circumstances – whether that be permission to keep their cameras off if they feel uncomfortable, flexible hours to tend to family, or taking time off for personal care.
Teambuilding and communication
Building a team where everyone pulls together thus creates a community and support network that is key to the modern business environment. The importance of businesses being a safe and open space cannot be understated and building a team culture is the engine to drive that change. Management needs to make an effort to check in with their employees, give clear lines of communication within and between teams, and institute a culture where employees can communicate what needs to change as well as what works.
Consider putting on social events for your employees – this gives time to unwind and the opportunity to get to know each other in a non-professional setting. These types of events help your personnel gain that comfortability with each other and your business as a whole – elevating your employee brand.
It takes time and effort to build a brand, while also engaging your workforce, but by doing so you open the door to a business that not only values but keeps and attracts talent. Focusing on your employees might be the best business decision you ever make.
Uma Rajagopal has been managing the posting of content for multiple platforms since 2021, including Global Banking & Finance Review, Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune. Her role ensures that content is published accurately and efficiently across these diverse publications.