In the current IT jobs marketplace, it is extremely difficult find the talented and skilled individuals that will set your organisation apart.
Major brands are starting to offer astronomically high salaries to attract the best candidates and subsequently the consultants within Crimson’s IT recruitment agency are being asked for recommendations on how to retain key employees.
The answer is that your organisation will have to work extremely hard to create processes that will maintain satisfaction among your employees. Here are some tips that will help you keep your valuable staff.
Tip 1 – Keep employees challenged: Fortune.com suggests that, as a CIO/ IT leader, you should be making sure that your employees are constantly learning, that they are increasing their value to the organisation, and that they’re aware that they’re improving their careers prospects.
To achieve this, you will need to establish KPIs for each member of your team and discuss whether they are achieving their operational and developmental objectives in monthly 1-2-1 meetings with them.
At Crimson, team leaders can offer a range of professional development opportunities to their staff and sales figures are displayed in our open plan offices for all the employees to see. We believe these techniques really help keep our employees hungry.
Tip 2 - Coach don’t manage: Forbes.com recommends that you try to strike a balance between giving your team members responsibility, the tools they need, and the space they require to do their job whilst staying connected enough to assist and offer advice when required.
To ensure that you’re this type of leader, you need to remain approachable and help your team members work through their problems.
Leaders at Crimson can also seek advice and guidance from board members and external consultants. Some staff have mentors in other teams or outside of the organisation.
Ensuring that employees feel nurtured, respected, and in control can really help you to reduced staff churn.
Tip 3 – Reward and recognise: Everyone likes to have hard work acknowledged but money doesn’t have to be the only incentive you offer to your employees.
Offering revenue sharing options can be a great way for you to reward hard work and give employees an extra incentive to smash your organisation’s financial targets.
Crimson hold a summer ball for employees every year. Part of the evening is an award ceremony where staff contributions are recognised. The award winners have their photos added to our ‘awards wall’. We find that this gesture goes a long way.
Tip 4 – Relaxation time: Harvard Business Review advocates being generous with time-off. As an IT leader, you expect a high-level performance from your technically gifted team. Well newsflash, if you’re liberal with granting requests for time in lieu, sick days, last minute holiday requests, new baby leave etc your team are going to work even harder for you.
Staff need to rest, especially after working on complex, lengthy, and stressful projects. It has been proven that annual family holidays can improve both mental and physical health.
‘The Holiday Health Report’ by Nuffield Health studied people that went on two-week vacations. It found that holiday makers’ resilience to stress improved by 29% compared to those that did not take a holiday, that sleep quality improved, and that blood pressures reduced by 6%.
Tip 5 – Make work fun: Your company culture has a massive effect on your employees. If your staff have friends within the organisation and enjoy coming to work they will find it much harder to leave.
As you might expect at IT recruitment agency, Crimson takes a ‘work hard, play hard’ approach to company culture. When we reach our yearly targets, we are treated to days out at the races, team meals and so on. We also take part in a lot of physical challenges, like Tough Mudder, to fundraise for charities each year. These types of activities help to build camaraderie and lasting employee relationships.
If you need help finding employees that fit your company culture contact Crimson via 01675 466 477 or marketing@crimson.co.uk.
Crimson is an IT consultancy, an IT solutions provider, an IT recruitment agency, and a Microsoft Gold Partner operating across the UK.
