The workforce is in flux. It’s hard to find employees right now, and it’s hard to keep them. So, what are some best practices that you can implement to recruit and retain employees? They key is engagement! Keep them interested in being a part of your team.
Here are six ways to engage employees as you work to not only hire staff but also maintain staffing levels:
- Social Media
Make recruitment part of your social media posting schedule. Not only is it a great place to advertise job openings but it is also a great way to get people thinking about a potential career at your establishment. Have fun with your posts. Think about ways you can get people liking and commenting on them. Use social media to give everyone a feel for your company’s mission and vision and highlight the environment.
- Gamification
Make work fun and motivate employees with contests and rewards. The world today is surrounded by games and incentives. From getting likes on a social media post to checking off completed tasks on to-do lists, everything is about reaching targets. We can turn employees’ tasks at work into a game with potential rewards. For example, if servers sell a certain number of desserts in a month, they could be entered into a drawing for a prize. Think of the things you would like your staff to accomplish and identify ways to make those accomplishments trackable and rewardable.
- Transparency
Be transparent about the business. Make sure employees are aware of decisions before the public finds out, and make sure they understand the “why” behind those decisions. Everyone wants to feel like they are a part of something, and in order for that to occur, a person must be included as much as possible in decisions affecting the business.
- Listening
Make sure employees feel comfortable coming to you with issues and ideas. You want your business to run as smoothly as possible. One way to accomplish this is to be aware of the good and the bad taking place within your four walls, as well as ideas for making things better. The best way to get this information is to have your employees come to you with what they’re thinking, seeing, and hearing. Staff members should feel comfortable discussing anything personal or professional that is affecting job performance. Allow them to offer suggestions for making improvements as well. Your best ideas may come from your staff. Make sure that you listen first, and then listen more. Speaking is secondary in importance to lending an ear.
- Empathizing
Beyond simply listening, you must be able to put yourself in your employees’ shoes. The more you can understand where your employees are coming from with their thoughts and actions, the better. Try to view the conversation through their lens to show them that you understand – the more you can work together, the more likely you will be to improve everyone’s experience and achieve greater company success.
- Teamwork
Encourage each employee and each department to work together to be successful. No matter what an employee’s job is, it must be done with the company’s goals in mind. Make sure new employees are introduced and welcomed by every person and every department. Have regular staff meetings as well as at least one fun employee event a year to thank everyone for their dedication. Teamwork means everyone is rowing the same boat and celebrating successes as one – with the same intentions and purpose.
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