Tag: workforce planning

Boosting Employee Retention By Offering More On-The-Job Training

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image_21When you have dependable employees who already fit in well with the corporate culture of your organization, on-the-job training can help you to retain them when they wish to advance into new roles. On-the-job training benefits the employee as well as your organization by saving you money and expanding the employee’s skills – according to a survey of almost 4,300 workers by Sh!ft, 74% felt that they weren’t achieving their full potential at work [1]. Consider these ways in which on-the-job training helps to boost retention of your most valuable workers.

Increased Retention of Information

When you provide on-the-job training in an environment where the employee already works, the employee is more likely to retain the information. During the training process, employees will see how the new skills and knowledge fit into what needs to be done in their existing job or in a future role that they wish to fulfill. Your employees will even have the chance to practice their newfound skills in the work environment, which further increases their retention of the information.

Direct Application to Job Functions

On-the-job training ensures that your employees learn skills with direct applications. Instead of studying abstract concepts in a classroom that seem far removed from the actual job, your employees will see how the knowledge and skills can be put to use to enhance their productivity, efficiency, or effectiveness. According to this workforce research, your staff members may even find that they enjoy both the training and their jobs more as they progress through the training process [2]. When a person enjoys his or her job, he or she is more likely to stay with the organization.

Enhanced Feedback

One of the biggest complaints of workers is that they do not receive detailed, frequent, or useful feedback from their managers. According to PwC, nearly 60% of survey respondents reported that they would like feedback on a daily or weekly basis—a number that increased to 72% for employees under age 30 [3]. Having both positive and constructive feedback encourages your employees to continue doing a great job and lets them know what needs to be improved. On-the-job training boosts employee retention by providing enhanced feedback. Throughout the training process, your employees will receive immediate feedback about their understanding and application of what they are learning.

 

[1] http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/statistics-on-corporate-training-and-what-they-mean-for-your-companys-future

[2] http://jobs.lovetoknow.com/Benefits_of_on_the_Job_Training

[3] https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2016/5-Employee-Feedback-Stats-That-You-Need-to-See

The Pros of the Telecommute Perk

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image_011Telecommuting began to rise in popularity within the past decade when fuel prices soared. While it immediately benefited employees who would no longer have to spend hundreds of dollars per month to fill their gas tanks, human resources managers also began to notice benefits. Telecommuting is a growing trend – about 40% of U.S. employees are working remotely either full time or part time [1]. If you are considering implementing a telecommuting policy at your organization, keep these pros in mind when making your decisions and setting up the rules of your telecommuting program.

Efficiency

Employees who work from home may be able to start their workdays earlier and end later than they would if they had to commute. They may also experience fewer distractions, such as conversations at the water cooler or disruptions from coworkers chatting rather than working. On the other hand, employees who work at home may become distracted by household chores, the doorbell, television, and spouses or children who are also at home.

Equipment Savings

When employees work from home, your organization may be able to cut on some costs, such as utilities, office supplies and furniture. A typical business could potentially save up to $11,000 per employee per year [2]. When telecommuting employees do come into the office, they may be able to use shared work areas. This might even allow your organization to be housed in a smaller space. Keep in mind that you may have to reimburse your employees for their work-related internet fees, pay phone bills for work calls and provide them with a laptop so that they can do their work from home.

Employee Loyalty and Retaining Staff

The flexibility of being able to telecommute may help to increase the loyalty of your employees. Employees who have young children may appreciate the ability to work from home on days when their childcare center is closed or when their child is sick. You may be able to retain your staff by offering the option of telecommuting one or more days per week. Your employees are sure to enjoy the time savings and experience less stress from not having to drive in weekday rush-hour traffic. The savings on gas and wear and tear on cars also benefits your staff, who may decide to stay with you for these benefits.

[1] http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikekappel/2016/07/27/for-employee-retention-theres-no-place-like-home/#48ca551855ec

[2] http://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics

Hiring Techniques to Reduce Employee Turnover

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image_02The hiring process is not only an economically costly endeavor for a company but a time-consuming one as well. When a relatively new hire jumps ship to join the team of some other company, all the resources that went into hiring and training that staff member are for naught. These three hiring techniques can help employers reduce employee turnover.

Make Sure the Candidate is the Right Fit

During the candidate interview process, Human Resources specialists and managers must take care to ask the right questions to ensure the candidate is the right fit for both the job and the organization. In addition to ensuring that a candidate has the right skills and educational background to do a job, he or she must also be a good fit for the manager and the corporate culture in order to succeed and stay loyal to the organization.

Regularly Review Employee Needs

Employers should take the time to understand what employees want. Flexibility in scheduling, telecommuting, job sharing, tuition reimbursement and other benefits may be more important than significant salary increases. Candidates can be asked during the hiring process about which benefits comprise the most important parts of their compensation package. Human Resources can address these employee needs during the hiring process and as an ongoing strategy to retain highly qualified staff.

Create and Maintain a Positive Work Environment

Candidates should be treated in a positive manner right from the start. The organization should be able to explain how employee recognition works and how achievements and goals are rewarded. Candidates typically want a position that will challenge them and motivate them to work their way up the corporate ladder. Tangible examples of awards, recognition and praise can be provided to candidates during the hiring process. This shows applicants that the organization is committed to maintaining a positive work environment. These actions also show that managers and the Human Resources department recognize successes. Candidates want to know that they will be appreciated and respected for their work and effort.

 

Workforce Planning’s Contributions to Organizational Success

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image_19A business’s success is determined by managing resources effectively. How a company recruits, trains, retains and manages its employees has an impact on its overall success. Having a workforce plan in place is important in ensuring that the business can remain competitive in an aggressive market.

Workforce planning is often overlooked in many businesses but should always be implemented. It is a challenging and complex process for any company in the business world, but it is vital for running a successful business. Today, factors that can affect workplace planning include trends in demographics, technology and policy. Effective planning helps the company operate in the current business climate in such a way that future issues and trends can be analyzed and predicted.

Forecasting the need for future employment is a must. To make a prediction, there first has be a solid understanding of the corporate strategy and where the business is headed. Because of unexpected changes in workforce, it is difficult to predict the exact number of employees that will be needed, but it is a good starting point.

It is important to develop a comprehensive analysis of gaps in workforce competencies in order to address them. Identifying and resolving internal and external problems that are weakening business operation can help save your business time and money.

Strategic plans for overcoming workforce issues can include training, restructuring, contracting out, succession planning or technological advancements. Once a plan is implemented, the results should be reviewed and monitored. The plan should be communicated effectively, and everyone should understand their roles. If the implemented strategy is proving to be ineffective, it should be reevaluated and adjusted.

Workforce planning addresses problems and solutions in the long run to save time, money and effort. Planning ahead may benefit your business in many unexpected ways and help your company grow.

Workforce Planning in a Booming Economy

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image_23A fast-growing economy puts pressure on any company’s workforce planning. As the unemployment rate in the U.S. dips toward 6 percent and productivity gains taper, there are fewer qualified candidates to fill a swelling number of open positions. Many HR departments must adjust their efforts in order to fill a widening gap between the supply and demand of new talent.

Re-Assessing Your Current Workforce Plan

There are many signs that the U.S. is finally heading out of its long recession. Your workforce planning efforts must identify the areas most affected should the economy take off.

  • Company projections for growth in the workforce may no longer be realistic. Ask what it would take to meet a surge in open positions. Perhaps an increase of contingent staffing for the short-term is in order.
  • Increased demand for employees also increases pressure on your retention policies. Review current retention policies, especially for your most valued employees.
  • Scrutinize how your company’s compensation and benefits packages compare to those of competitors. Look for creative benefits improvements that appeal to a younger generation of workers.
  • Re-evaluate new college graduate acquisition programs. A larger internal talent pool of graduates could be tapped as the economy grows. Perhaps your company can improve its university presence and expand internship and training programs.


Leveraging Information Technology

Automation and increased use of information technology has been unquestionably effective at improving productivity in many industry sectors. The application of IT is not typically a key expertise of an HR department, but associates should collaborate with other company groups to advocate for employing such resources in order to reduce headcount needs.

Maintain High Standards

As the economy grows and qualified candidates become harder to identify, HR must avoid the temptation to lower hiring standards in order to fill seats. Acquiring and retaining talented employees pays huge dividends in the long term where the focus of workforce planning should be. Early adjustments to your company’s workforce planning should take priority over settling for less qualified workers.