Offer Fair Salaries
How does a team member feel when they see a job offer from a competitor offering a much higher salary for the same position they hold with equal experience? The answer is probably not positive.
Moreover, while money has always been a determining factor in the decision to accept, keep, or leave a job, it has become an even more important factor in the current difficult economic context. With rising prices and interest rates, your staff primarily seeks financial security to free themselves from the negative stress generated by bills and expenses. In fact, as mentioned in our article "Mental Health at Work: Context, Issues, and Solutions," an insufficient salary is one of the main risks to mental health at work according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Additionally, competitive compensation will likely result in better employee retention.
Encourage Professional Development
Many individuals wish to evolve as professionals and climb the ranks within a company. On the one hand, continuous learning is now seen by many as a priority for their fulfillment and a necessity due to constant changes in their field. Many therefore prefer employers who invest concretely in their development. For example, to meet this need, more and more companies allocate an annual budget to each employee for professional development.
On the other hand, it is crucial to offer internal advancement opportunities for the most ambitious members of your team. They need to be able to achieve their goals within your organization. Otherwise, some may be led to leave their job for competitors offering better opportunities. Take the time to establish a career plan with them and discuss potential promotions.
Be Flexible
Today, employees seek a balance between their work and personal life. As revealed in our article titled "Is Intergenerational Harmony at Work Realistic?", this is particularly true for Generation Y (Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012). As a result, they tend to favour flexible employers, especially when it comes to schedules. For example, they want to be able to:
- Start and finish earlier or later as needed
- Take time off in the middle of the day for an appointment or emergency
- Have the option to work remotely in certain circumstances
- Take time off for personal reasons
- Take a half-day on Fridays as long as they have worked all their hours
In summary, employees want their supervisors to adapt to their reality. The first step is being understanding!
Listen and Communicate Actively
Listening to and supporting staff is crucial. This is mainly achieved through open communication. Here are some solutions to help you with this objective:
- Equip yourself with effective communication tools. For example, your employees must be able to contact you easily and know which channel to use based on the nature of their request.
- Provide regular constructive feedback. This helps reduce uncertainty for your team members, since they know what to expect and can adjust as needed. Additionally, don’t forget to highlight their achievements so they feel appreciated and fairly valued!
- Be truly available. It isn’t enough to simply attend the morning meeting or say that you're accessible; you have to show it. Your employees must perceive you as receptive. Otherwise, they may not approach you at all and keep their questions and requests to themselves, which could pose medium or long-term problems.
- Touch base more formally from time to time. For example, organize a one-on-one HR meeting every month or quarter where you encourage each of your employees to share their ambitions within the company and discuss their work grievances before a potential situation becomes more serious.
Apart from the persisting salary issue, our advice follows one main thread: a more human and empathetic approach. People want to work for a company that allows them to achieve their goals, is flexible in the face of life's uncertainties, and truly listens to them. Be that employer by maintaining a positive, enviable company culture!
At Bedard Human Resources, we can contribute to your employees' fulfillment at work by helping you create a positive company culture. Contact Stéphane Pépin for more information about our HR consulting services.
