Control staff turnover

When you run a business, it is good practice to be aware of the factors that commonly lead to high staff turnover rates, so that you can take steps to reduce them before they escalate.

Pay is rarely the only reason why people leave their place of employment, although low pay levels are often a disincentive to stay in a job.

Consider how your business achieves in the following areas.

Staff recruitment and induction

Recruiting the right staff

Are you getting the recruitment process right? Does your recruitment process support you in attracting and finding employees that are suitable for advertised roles and fit in with your organisational values and culture? See advertising a job and interviewing candidates.

Staff induction

Do you have a formal onboarding process for new employees? How do you let new staff know where things are, what is expected of them, and what they and their colleagues are supposed to do? An effective induction programme will familiarise new staff with the organisational values and culture from day one and make them feel part of the team. See advantages of job inductions.

Employee value proposition

Do you have a high staff turnover and struggle to attract new talent? You should look at developing and promoting an employee value proposition that outlines everything you offer as an employer to your employees in return for their valued commitment and contribution to the business. This can include salary, benefits, work-life balance, working environment, company culture, and development opportunities. Clearly outlining your employee value proposition can be a very powerful way to set you apart from other employers and help you to effectively retain staff and attract top talent.

Contracts, pay and working environment

Employment contracts

Do the terms and conditions of your contracts encourage staff loyalty? See the employment contract.

Competitive pay rates

Are your pay rates in line with your industry and enable you to be competitive in retaining and attracting employees? Are your pay rates outlined in a fair and transparent system? See set the right pay rates.

Staff engagement

Do you encourage staff feedback or ideas? Engaging employees and asking for their opinions and advice makes them feel valued and invested in the success of your business. See staff feedback, ideas and forums.

Incentives and benefits

Are the incentives and benefits you offer relevant and attractive to your staff? Can staff choose the ones they want? See implement staff incentive schemes.

Work-life balance

Introducing appropriate and efficient employment practices to help employees achieve a better work-life balance brings several tangible benefits to your business. Taking steps to support and encourage staff to have a healthy work-life balance such as implementing a flexible working policy can be effective in retaining and attracting staff. See promote healthy work-life balance in your business.

Working location

Is your workplace environment safe and conducive to supporting staff to do their jobs easily and effectively? Are noise, lighting, and ventilation levels acceptable especially with staff that have a disability? Could staff work more effectively from work or a remote location? Would a hybrid working model lead to happier staff and increased productivity? See hybrid working: employer guidance.

Training and staff development

Motivation

How supportive and encouraging is your business to its employees? See what motivates employees.

Organisational culture

Do you actively promote a positive and inclusive business culture? Do your business values contribute to an organisational culture that staff can buy into and leads to positive business performance? See business values.

Training, skills, and development opportunities

Are you matching people to the right job roles? Are you making the best use of your employee's skills, experience, and competencies? Are you investing in your staff by giving them the time and opportunities to learn new skills? Is there the potential to provide appropriate promotional opportunities and mentoring or coaching to support this? See staff training and use mentoring to improve staff performance.

Performance reviews

How often do you give your staff the opportunity to discuss their performance and get feedback on how they are doing and identify areas where they could improve? Setting measurable goals or key performance indicators clearly sets out what staff need to deliver on how their performance will be assessment by you. This helps staff to improve their productivity and performance. This also helps them to see how their efforts contribute to the success of your business. See agreeing performance objectives with staff.

Grievance procedures

Do your staff know how to register a grievance and are they making use of the procedure? See handling grievances.

Teamwork

Do you encourage common goals and discourage unhealthy individual rivalries? See advantages of effective teamwork.