Employee Retention

Working Parents- What Employers Can Do To Ease The Load

You want your business to retain talented, productive individuals, but you may be overlooking the needs of an important segment of your workforce: working parents. Helping these employees achieve a work life balance can have a dramatic impact on morale and performance.

How the Challenges of Working Parents Can Impact Your Business

The obligations of raising healthy, responsible members of society can overwhelm even the most dedicated employees. Here are just a few of the challenges that parents face as they juggle a work life balance:

Arranging for daycare or babysitting during teacher in-service days and holidays

Transporting a child to/from school

Taking time off to care for sick children

Feeding the family, helping kids with schoolwork, cleaning the house, running errands, and spending quality time with spouses in the few hours between left between work and bedtime

These problems become even more complicated when working moms and dads have working spouses as well. You start to see former superstars being written up for tardiness or excessive absences. You notice missed deadlines and lackluster presentations/reports. You may even receive unexpected resignations as parents move to more flexible environments.

Building a Company Where Parents Can Thrive

The Families and Work Institute has identified that over 87% of employees feel that having flexibility to maintain a work life balance is important in a job, no matter the size of the company. Despite all of the problems associated with juggling professional and personal commitments, the solutions are relatively simple. Some of the examples shown below are even free.

Integrate flexible scheduling into the work process. Options include allowing employees to work from home one day per week or giving employees flexible start/finish hours to coordinate schedules with working spouses.

Limit overtime. By establishing an appropriate work life balance, managers acknowledge that family is important and work should be finished on the job, not at home.

Offer support services, such as daycare benefits, housekeeping discounts, on-site dry cleaners, or even paid/unpaid massages during employee lunch hours.

Support connections to children and working spouses. Almost 75% of parents feel they do not have enough time with their children and partners, so even small changes like letting parents check in with their family members during the day can have a big impact.

When implementing some of these ideas, keep them consistent across the board. Unless you like lawsuits, do not treat childless employees and working parents differently.

Dianne Shaddock is the Founder of Easy Small Business HR, Employee Hiring and Managing Tips. Through the Employee Hiring and Managing Tips podcast, blog, and weekly ‘quick tips’ e-newsletters, Dianne offers expert advice on how to make better hiring decisions, manage difficult employees, develop employee policies, motivate staff, and so much more. No stuffy, corporate HR policy lingo; but straight forward, easy to understand and implement advice for businesses just like yours. Stay ahead of the curve and go to Easy Small Business HR for more tips on how to hire and manage your staff effectively.

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Guest Post: 4 Benefits of Keeping in Touch with Former Employees

When a trusted and long-time employee quits, moving on to bigger and better things, your work environment may suffer a few days of sadness. Soon enough, however, a replacement comes in, and the world moves on. As an employer, it may initially make more sense to focus on your employees who are here to stay, but there are tangible benefits for actively staying in touch with former workers.

1. Keeping in touch directs quality new hires your way.

If your former employee was someone who had a strong work ethic, a sound intuition, and an ability to learn quickly, then chances are that her friends and acquaintances are very similar. As such, keeping in touch with former employees opens up the possibility for a future employee referral.

2. Keeping in touch spreads a reputation of your business as valuing employees.

No matter how long ago it may have been, people never forget when and where they were treated with respect, understanding, and care. Keeping in touch with former employees is one very important way to show this sort of care, and it can consequently help to spread a good reputation, benefiting your business from two perspectives—from both the potential employee’s and potential customer’s standpoints.

3. Long-time employees can advise you how to deal with new problems.

Even if you are an employer and/or hiring manager, chances are that you don’t know your employees as well as they know each other. Having an occasional lunch or coffee with a former employee can be very helpful if you need advice when you are having a specific problem, either with an employee or with a project.

4. It helps you maintain a sense of connectedness in a constantly-changing world.

The world of business, especially a 21^st century business, is constantly changing, and we humans are inherently social, seeking (whether or not we know it) long-term, close ties with friends and family. Even if you were not particularly close with a former employee, you still saw them every day for several years. Keeping in touch with someone with whom you are acquainted at that level helps to maintain a sense of community that is so often missing in the modern world.

Of course, keeping in touch with a former employee is not absolutely necessary. But it’s a good practice that helps build networks and relationships, which is always beneficial for any business.

This is a guest post from Carol Wilson who writes for business insurance. She contributes articles about a variety of marketing, business, stock market, small business topics. She can be contacted at: wilson.carol24 @ gmail.com.

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How To Reward Staff

Transcript of Podcast # 26: How To Reward Employees

Listen to the audio (6 mins, 28 secs)

Thanks for tuning in to Easy Small Business HR’s Employee Hiring and Managing Tips.

Similar to episode #24, this podcast focuses on another very popular blog topic: how to reward staff.

I’m thrilled that so many small business owners and supervisors recognize how important it is to reward staff for the work that they do for you everyday.

Some supervisors don’t try to reward employees for the work that they do because of the misconception that rewarding employees means spending a lot of money, but today’s podcast will highlight ways that you can reward employees without breaking your budget.

Some no cost, low cost, or cost neutral ways to say thank you include:

Rewarding employees by supporting work/life balance through work at home plans. Allowing employees to work from home or telecommute is a great way to not only thank employees, by giving your employees more flexibility, but you also get work done at the same time.

Consider a flexible schedule option for staff. Is it possible for your staff to work more hours, 4-days a week and then take a Friday or Monday off? What about allowing staff to come in a little earlier and then leave earlier during the day ?

Surprise your employees with a half-day off on a holiday that your company does not normally observe. If the office is open on President’s Day for example, let employees leave a little earlier than scheduled.

Give your employees an opportunity to work on a high-profile project, such as a task force or committee. This is one of the more creative ways to reward employees because it not only gives the employee more visibility within the organization it also provides him or her with valuable work experience.

Publicly acknowledge your employee’s accomplishments whenever you can. You can do this by including a blurb in your company newsletter, at a staff meeting, or through the company email system.

Invite employees to your home once a year for a barbeque, take staff out to lunch, or bring in breakfast.

You are only limited by your imagination in terms of ideas for how to reward your employees.

If you have creative ways that you’ve rewarded staff, share them with others who are looking for ideas.

Leave your comment.

Recommended Resource

It’s expensive to hire a new employee. Cost per hire varies depending on the time spent recruiting, the salary of the person(s) involved in recruiting and quite a few other factors. The bottom line is, that if you have trouble retaining employees, it’s costing you money.

There are many ways to keep staff engaged and happy which in turn will keep them working in your organization. One of the best ways is through employee recognition. When you consistently recognize your staff for the work that they do, they feel valued and appreciated. It’s one of the best management practices that should not be underestimated.

For more ideas on how to recognize your employees go to easysmallbusinesshr.com/retainemployees

Dianne Shaddock is the President of Easy Small Business HR, Employee Hiring and Managing Tips and the author of the ebook “How To Supervise: What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took the Job“, A Step-By-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers.

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ESBHR Podcast # 26: How To Reward Employees

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Are you struggling to come up with ways to improve employee morale, increase employee motivation, and retain employees? One of the best, yet under-valued actions that you can take, whether you are the owner of a small business or a manager in a large corporation is reward your employees for a job well done.

Some supervisors don’t show appreciation by recognizing and rewarding employees because of the misconception that acknowledging the work that staff perform means spending a lot of money. The podcast “How To Reward Employees” will highlight ways that you can reward your employees without breaking your budget.

Right Click to Download the MP3, (6 mins, 28 secs)

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