Staff Retention: How Employers Can Meet The Challenge

Staff Retention: How Employers Can Meet The Challenge

In 2024, one of the biggest challenges facing UK employers is staff retention. That’s according to one survey of hundreds of leading HR decision-makers, commissioned by a software provider earlier this year.

Retention of staff and holding on to skilled employees to reduce high turnover rates and the associated time and expense of recruitment, not to mention the impeded productivity, were cited in the poll as the biggest headaches. Indeed, more than half of the study participants described employee retention as their biggest HR concern in 2024.

Other worries included hiring a sufficient number of suitably qualified candidates for vacancies and consistently engaging the workforce. Reducing absenteeism brought about by work-related stress, creating a positive workplace culture and internal promotion to fill in skills gaps were also among key concerns.

Since the pandemic, staff disengagement has been rife, driven perhaps by fewer people coming in to the office, high turnover and a decline in team events. Equally, smaller firms in particular are competing with larger companies perceived to offer more benefits, higher pay or a more secure environment. Since the cost-of-living crisis, even small pay improvements have become more significant. What’s more, people are increasingly seeking more meaningful work and greater flexibility.

While it may sound a cliché, an organisation’s people is always going to be its greatest asset. And you will only have continued business success if you continue to invest in your staff.

The good news is that, if you’re looking to hang on to your top talent, there are many things you can do. And if you want to have better retention for your own organisation, you may need to rethink your staff engagement strategies.

How Corporate Events Boost Staff Engagement

If you celebrate and recognise hard work with events, such as company award schemes, away days, training sessions and so on, your organisation will feel the benefit in the form of boosted morale, reinforced brand values, a stronger sense of community and a sense of feeling rewarded. Events also impart knowledge, either through training or updating people on corporate news.

At the same time, whether they’re seminars, conferences or workshops, company events help staff to network with colleagues they haven’t met before.

If you’re organising an event, clearly every detail really contributes to its success. One thing that can be a game-changer in planning these occasions is a QR code for photos.

QR codes more widely clearly bring a number of benefits in terms of flexibility and functionality, while providing easy access to information, capturing instant feedback, networking and simplifying event registration or adding visual flair to promotional materials. But they really come into their own when it comes to sharing photos from an occasion.

Guests just scan the QR code, and upload all their images in moments. They don’t have to set up an account or download particular app. You can then show all the images as they come in, live, at the event, making it a highly interactive experience. (Or approve photos first if you prefer.)

Afterwards, download all the images in full high resolution.

QR photo codes give you the best range of pictures from your event, while creating a sense of excitement and involvement among those involved. Plus you have a record of the occasion you can use for any printed or online reports of it.

Think About Workplace Wellness Weeks

In the wake of the pandemic, a third of organisations have upped their budget for well-being benefits.

While you may not have previously considered them, employee wellness weeks provide the ideal chance to create a real buzz around mental and physical health at your workplace for a full working week.