As HR professionals, part of our tasks is to reduce high costs and ensure employee retention that will benefit both the employer as well as the employee. Employee retention involves a simple process that boosts and improves employee performance within an organization to ensure they remain engaged productively as well as remain with the employer on a long term basis. Sometimes it takes us acting as mediators and stepping in when problems or issues arise between employees or between an employee and the employer. This role, however, is never easy, as we have to handle situations that are difficult and sometimes emotional. Our role is even tougher when we have to deal with intangible problems—matters that are not understandably seen or difficult to identify and tackle, such as –Attitude.
The purpose of this write up is to explore some opportunities of managing employee attitude proactively. No matter how great your workplace, cases of deleterious employee attitude may likely come up at some time or the other. An effective HR is expected to be able to identify employees with negative attitude and should attempt to deal with them quickly and effectively.
However, because Negative emotions and attitude could be contagious, it is better to come up with preventive measures and foster good ones proactively. What is attitude then? According to Business Dictionary.com, ‘A predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain idea, object, person, or situation. Attitude influences an individual’s choice of action, and responses to challenges, incentives, and rewards (together called stimuli)’.
Below are some useful tips in strategically managing Attitude for productive staff retention.
Tips
Creatively leverage on ‘First impression’
As much as it’s important to Job seekers to impress the interviewers in order to hitch an offer, hiring managers need to consciously recognize the competitiveness of the job market. A strong ‘first impression’ will go a long way to helping your businesses stand out as well as leave a lasting impression that could aid successful candidates’ decision and could intentionally be extended to form part of company culture. The creativity could be by fostering a cheery work environment of trust starting from onboarding activities, staff meetings, staff retreat, TGIFS etc.
Increase employee Value by creating opportunities to voice concerns
Giving employees the opportunity to have a say and taking them seriously could ease stress levels, create a sense of belonging and enable them appreciate their contribution and subsequently, increase their productivity. This of course requires a thorough work of carrying management along.
Keep a record of your employee’s concerns
When inputs from employees are documented, opportunity to follow up (management) and probably add more value to the business goal in high revenues exists and the employees do not feel unrecognized while more progressive business ideas keep coming up.
Praise employees for their successes
Most people thrive on feeling appreciated. Positive reinforcement and praise can have a huge effect on employee attitude to work, invariably positive impact on staff retention. This also gives employees insight about other aspects they need to focus on for improvement.
Encourage employees to be solution driven
Support the employees to change their attitude after giving them an opportunity to explain their problems and encourage them to find a solution and provide help in different ways possible. It’s important to recognize that some people are naturally prone to pessimism and complaining, having established your HR as a listening one, the empowerment to redirect attitude may have been earned. Use it.
Remuneration and Rewards
Remuneration plays the principal role in the process of motivating employees which in turn, leads to retention. Put together a compensation package that include Bonuses, incentives and relevant work-based intervention program designed to assist employees in resolving personal problems that may be adversely affecting the employee’s performance.
