Podcast: How Would Your Team Describe You?
Employers are stepping up their efforts to retain employees amid record low unemployment rates and the continuing recruitment crisis.
In recent years there has been a marked increase in companies introducing new initiatives in a bid to make staff want to stay put instead of seeking greener pastures elsewhere.
If employees are happy with their working environment they are more likely to stay in the job. An appealing workplace culture – where flexible hours and a healthy work-life balance is encouraged – can be just as enticing as a bumper pay packet.
“It is no longer quick and easy [to hire] – it is really hard to find staff. Therefore one of the reactions is to keep hold of the people you have got,” says Tom Hadley, director of policy at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.
Companies have generally adopted a two-pronged approach to helping staff feel less overworked and stressed, through flexible working and health and wellbeing schemes.
Marketing and communications company Havas opened a “wellness lounge” earlier this year as part of its staff wellbeing programme. It provides “a technology-free ‘mental health sanctuary‘ for employees, enabling them to recharge during the day, as and when needed”.
Havas also runs weekly “wellness Wednesdays” in the lounge, with guided meditations and mindfulness sessions running hourly.
But are these workplace benefits effective in keeping employees from seeking out pastures new?
Ewen MacPherson, people director at Havas Group Media, said the company considered its wellness lounge a success because “96.4pc of employees who have interacted with the wellness programme have remained with the company”.
Corinne Mills, a career coach and managing director of Personal Career Management, says that while work perks can be appealing, happiness at work is more closely tied to whether an employee has a good manager. “Most people experience their organisation through their manager. So if they have a wonderful, empowering, motivational boss, they are going to have a better time than someone who doesn’t have that.”
Vocabulary:
stepping up – (phrasal verb) increasing, intensifying, or putting more effort into an activity, “The police are stepping up security at the stadium before the big game.”
retain – to keep or continue to have something, rather than losing it, “The company works hard to retain its best employees by offering high salaries.”
amid – in the middle of or during a specific event or situation, “The outdoor concert continued amid a heavy rainstorm.”
recruitment – the process of finding, interviewing, and hiring new people to join a company, “Our human resources department is busy with the recruitment of five new engineers.”
marked – very noticeable, clear, or distinct, “There has been a marked improvement in his English grades this semester.”
initiatives – new plans, actions, or official projects started to solve a problem, “The government introduced new initiatives to reduce plastic waste in cities.”
in a bid to – (idiom) in an attempt to or in order to try to do something, “She woke up early in a bid to finish her essay before school started.”
stay put – (idiom) to remain in the same place or position without moving or changing, “The tour guide told the group to stay put while he bought the museum tickets.”
greener pastures – (idiom) a new, better, or more interesting job, place, or life situation, “He left his old job to look for greener pastures at a modern technology firm.”
appealing – attractive, interesting, or pleasing, “The idea of working from home sounds very appealing to many parents.”
work-life balance – the comfortable and healthy division of a person’s time between their job and their personal life, “Having a good work-life balance means you have plenty of time for both your career and your family.”
enticing – highly attractive, tempting, or inviting, “The smell of fresh bakery bread was very enticing to the hungry shoppers.”
bumper – unusually large, abundant, or highly successful, “The farmers celebrated a bumper harvest of apples this autumn.”
pay packet – the money or salary a person receives from their employer for doing their job, “He was happy to see a bonus added to his monthly pay packet.”
two-pronged – having two separate, distinct parts, methods, or directions to achieve a single goal, “The school used a two-pronged plan to improve reading scores and math grades.”
schemes – official plans, systems, or programs organized by a company or government, “The company introduced new health insurance schemes for all full-time workers.”
wellness – the state of being in good physical, mental, and emotional health, “Eating fresh vegetables and exercising daily are great ways to improve your personal wellness.”
sanctuary – a safe, peaceful, or quiet place that provides protection from trouble or stress, “The quiet library was a perfect sanctuary for the stressed student during exams.”
enabling – making it possible or giving someone the ability to do something, “This online application is excellent for enabling users to learn languages quickly.”
recharge – to rest, relax, and regain your physical or mental energy, “She took a weekend trip to the mountains to recharge after a busy month at work.”
mindfulness – a mental practice where you focus calmly and completely on the present moment, “Practicing mindfulness every morning helps him stay calm throughout the busy workday.”
seeking out – (phrasal verb) looking for or trying to find someone or something with deliberate effort, “He is seeking out a qualified tutor to help him pass the advanced calculus test.”
pastures new – (idiom) a different place, activity, or new job opportunity that offers a fresh start, “After five years in London, she decided to move to Paris in search of pastures new.”
interacted with – communicated, participated in, or spent time involved with someone or something, “The students interacted with the museum exhibits by pressing buttons on the screens.”
perks – extra benefits, advantages, or rewards given to employees in addition to their regular salary, “Free snacks, a gym membership, and a company car are great work perks.”
tied to – (phrasal verb) closely connected to, related to, or dependent on something else, “Her happiness at her job is closely tied to how friendly her coworkers are.”
empowering – giving someone more confidence, power, control, or freedom over their own life, “The teacher’s supportive words were highly empowering to the young students.”
motivational – providing inspiration, encouragement, or a strong desire to act and succeed, “The team captain gave a fantastic motivational speech before the championship game.”