Work Life Balance is increasingly important to every employee
8 simple tips every employer can use to further work life balance – and
Job Satisfaction – for every employee
The next generation of workers is willing to give up even
substantial increases in pay for more flexibility and “balance” in their
professional lives.
If they feel appreciated, if they’re part of a team that sticks
together and enjoy even a little more flexibility over their hours and place of
work then they’re likely to stay. Previous generations – who you may very
well also be employing – wanted development opportunities. And opportunities
for advancement, security, certainty and a level playing field – all admirable
goals for the work place.
But
Generation Y and millennial workers will even accept less money – lower pay –
in exchange for more control over how when and where they’re going to be.
Retaining the talent your company needs – today more than ever
before – means changing your work more into a thing and less into a place.
These are eight strategies to bring up at your next HR retention
meeting. Everyone of them will keep those younger and more restless employees
happy, but they also work with older generations too. By 2020, you’ll be
looking at 50% of your workforce being made up entirely of Generation y, so
there’s no time to lose.
1. Make your Policies Clear
Policies on flextime, telecommuting and performance need to be
clear and known far and wide.
2. Reward Performance
There’s no saying that every employee needs to start out as the
free bird. Build increasing freedom into your policies and let the best people
reap the rewards.
3. Infrastructure
If they need networks, the time is now to get them out the
office. This can be the greatest expense for companies moving into the cloud,
so now is the time to start planning for secure and always available
cloud-based infrastructure.
4. Choice
Employees like to be able to say no. No guilt, and no worries
make even die-hard desk jockies into true believers. Give them the chance.
5. Respect
Make sure employees know that you respect the decisions they
make, and give them more choices where ever possible.
6. Communications
Balanced workplaces need to put more effort into that internal newsletter
or blog. It’s not just about the bottom line. It’s also about people, and
people’s lives, accomplishments and communities.
7. Get Personal
With
all of the above in mind – your
new workplace has room for a little breathing, a little more fun and some messy
personal lives. Of course, employees still need privacy and respect, but
there’s a lot to be said for personal achievement, and kids’ achievements and
your local schools, softball teams and scouts.
8. Test, Review and Modify
As your infrastructure learns to grow and change and improve,
it’s not going to grow more rigid. There’s no reason you should let it.
Take the time to learn to read the new numbers as they are coming in. You’ll
see performance increases, but you’ll be identifying problem areas too. Change
and improve.
That process will never cease, and there’s no reason it should.
You’ll find that achieving balance is not only the most cost effective goal for
your employees but for your entire organization too!
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