Are You Coping Well with an Ever-Changing Workforce?

In the past, employees would often commit to one company for many years and work their way up the career ladder. However, the working world has changed and has welcomed the rise of millennial workers, who are simply not ready to commit to one business for the next 20 years. Instead, they will spend time job-hopping across numerous companies, as they feel it will be much more beneficial to their career, and allow them to gain more experience within their chosen field.

When employers hire staff, they will encounter those who have worked in numerous companies who may have the right skill set and knowledge—but who might leave within the next two or three years.  Employees should embrace this new way of working as it can have many benefits, including obtaining new ways of working and different skill sets.

It’s important for businesses to try and keep hold of these workers as they often want to succeed, and with the help and support you can give them, it can be achieved. Let’s explore how you should be managing an ever-changing workforce to ensure that you can get the most out of them while they are still working for you.

Understand your workforce

Every workforce is going to be diverse—there will be different cultures, ages, skill-sets and ways of working. Ensure that you embrace this, and get to know what is best for each of your employees and adapt your ways of working around this. If staff believe they are acknowledged, they will want to work for you, they will want to achieve results and will want grow as part of the company. Directors and managers should be listening to what their staff want, so if any employee has a new idea it should be listened to rather than just refusing to consider it. It will allow them to respect you and the company.

Provide Training and Development

Each time a new employee comes on board, personal development reviews should be set and carried out. This is an opportunity for them to share their thoughts on what they want to achieve in their career, and the best way to go about it. To ensure you get the most of your staff, you should listen to them, work together and map how they can reach their goal; and if they need training set this up for them.

Employers should always value their staff; if you do, they will want to stay with you. You should promote those who work hard or show a strong sense of commitment to the business. Without regular reviews or promotions, they might feel that they are not getting the most out of their career and leave to develop other opportunities.

Company Meetings

At least once a month, each company or organization should have a staff update to showcase what each team has been working on. It’s a great opportunity for staff to interact with each other and be aware what’s happening, whether it’s good or bad. By keeping staff in the loop, it will make them feel that they are not just a number but that they’re a valuable employee that you want to keep within your business.

If you do decide to hire those who tend to move around quite a lot, and they do leave despite your efforts to keep them, it’s important that you learn from them. Ensure that you do try and achieve the most with them while they are under your employment, and give them opportunities to progress.

Author: Hannah Pennell is a content writer for Kimberly Access.