Reports this year have suggested that almost half of the UK workforce is currently looking for a new job (read more). High levels of dissatisfaction and unhappiness are leading employees to seek out new opportunities, decreasing rates of retention and costing companies time and money.
The findings suggest that employees are becoming less concerned about salary and more concerned about career development, yet workplace practices are not yet dedicating enough time or effort to developing their teams and ensuring employee satisfaction. These intrinsic factors are vital in order to retain key members of staff in uncertain times.
“As the economy rises and falls, so does the job industry. This results in high levels of change and fluctuation within the workplace – which can result in anxiety and depression amongst employees. We are working with increasing numbers of companies facing change, helping them to support their employees and see the light!” Katherine Wiid, career expert at Career Ambitions.
Psychological studies have found that humans recall four negative memories for every one positive memory. An inevitable part of career development is feedback and appraisals – but all too often these focus on an employees weaknesses and areas to work on, rather than their strengths. What if companies focused on what their employees are good at and feel passionate about, rather than what they aren’t naturally talented at? Rather than forcing a square peg into a round hole, employers need to help their employees to tailor their roles to fit them (otherwise known as Career Crafting). When employees are happy in their roles, spending more time doing things they enjoy and feel confident about, their productivity levels will be higher and team morale will be boosted.
“When employees stop growing and learning, it has a negative knock on effect on their confidence, performance and satisfaction levels which leads to company standards dropping or staff leaving. Companies need to encourage employees to be active brand ambassadors, and continue marketing themselves! By encouraging employees to become their best selves, they will improve retention rates and develop a better, more satisfied and productive team!” Lindsey Reed, careers expert at Career Ambitions.
Rather than spending time and effort working on weaknesses and plugging the gaps, focusing on their team strengths and tweaking roles accordingly can have a hugely positive impact on the workplace, from retention rates to team morale. People remember criticism, but respond to praise.
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”
Willie Nelson