For many managers, it is something they dread: losing good staff only to go through the lengthy and prolonged recruitment process.
It is important for the growth of any firm to try and retain staff. It can maintain consistency, help maintain the business culture, and help minimize revenue losses. The question, of course, is how you can retain the staff that you have.
So, as 2025 is now here, listed below are some of the best options for managers and business owners to maintain their current teams, and to keep their workplaces ticking over.
1. Offer Remote or Hybrid Working Options
Since 2020, the number of remote jobs and hybrid jobs has jumped. Why? It started with the aim of keeping staff safe but it showcased that many staff members enjoyed being able to balance their work and their life better, which is the inevitable outcome of working from home periodically or full-time.
When it comes to tips to improve company culture, offering remote or hybrid working when possible is a valuable tool. It allows your staff not to feel chained to their desks and enables meetings to occur (if needed) via online platforms, so you can meet with them without micromanaging them. It’s simple, it saves money (as you won’t need to hire office space), and it improves productivity.
2. Support Staff Health and Wellbeing
Another reason hybrid and remote working became more popular and show no signs of slowing down is that both options allow staff to take better care of their health and wellbeing.
This is crucial, as poor health (in particular, mental health) costs companies billions a year in lost revenue, meaning it is essential for managers and businesses to aim to keep their staff happy and content in the workplace. This can look like checking in with staff to see how they are, creating an open culture of being able to talk about mental health and physical health, and, of course, offering flexible working options. It has happened far too often that staff have reported poor health (mental and physical) to their bosses, only to then have to undertake an often humiliating barrage of occupational health questions about workplace competence. It is a legal requirement, yes, but it is not the only thing you can do to help them. In some cases, it can be worth engaging in outsourcing mental health resources with another company, as well as physical health resources, to show your team that while you may lack the professional expertise to help them with their mental/physical health, you care enough to invest in this option to help them manage.
3. Showcase Professional Interests
Being in a dead-end job is demotivating and can cause staff members to seek advancements elsewhere.
So, to retain your staff, make sure you are invested in their professional growth. Try to get your team members on training courses at least once a year to brush up on their skills and seek to bolster their weaker areas. This interest in their professional career and profession will help you to retain staff and will keep them feeling appreciated.
4. Give Surveys
How often should you give staff surveys? Some managers will say once a month. Others will say twice a year.
Irrespective of how often you decide to give your staff surveys, it is important to do so, as this can maintain a constant flow of communication that can help you and your managers to make appropriate changes to help keep staff happy.
Make sure surveys are anonymous (and usually digital) and follow them up with meetings, so you can talk to your staff about the changes you will make based on what was said. It’s simple, it’s cheap, and it will help you to keep hold of good staff!
5. Listen!
Most people have been in a workplace where they haven’t been listened to, and understandably, it negatively impacts staff retention.
If you have noticed that your staff seem unhappy, it may be time to set up a meeting and listen to them. What are their issues with the workplace? Why are they unhappy? It seems so simple, yet few managers or bosses endeavor to do this very simple step. This can also open the floor to other staff members talking about issues they may have in the workplace, which can lead to positive changes.
In many cases, it may be beneficial to have weekly meetings to engage with staff, highlight the issues they may be facing, and work towards solutions.
