Traditionally, employers have relied on giving employees raises to retain their staff and reward them for being hard-working and loyal. Raises can get expensive, and there is often an upper limit for what you can offer regarding increasing salaries and wages.

Keeping your employees happy makes business sense. You want to keep your good employees, and it costs money to find, hire and train new staff. Beyond that, satisfied employees who feel valued are more motivated and productive.

Here are some ways to keep your employees happy that don't rely on higher salaries.

Five Effective Ways To Retain Employees And Keep Your Company Healthy

1. Pay for professional development

Good employees want to improve their skills and grow professionally. Often, other priorities get in the way of upgrading skills. Paying for professional development, for example, by having a fund people can access or by bringing in experts to run workshops, shows your staff you care enough to invest in them. Meanwhile, your construction business benefits by having staff trained on the newest procedures and technologies.

An employee's development plan is an action plan that focuses on helping staff improve their knowledge, capabilities, and skills in areas related to your business.

Creating such plans shows your staff you're invested in their future, which increases employee satisfaction. It helps them understand their role and gives them a framework for expanding their talents. It enables you to develop your staff, promoting from within and encouraging your employees to grow with your construction company.

2. Encourage work-life balance

Employees want a fulfilling life, but finding a balance between work and home isn't easy. Having an employer that encourages a work-life balance makes it more accessible. Avoid messaging (texting, phoning, or emailing) employees after work hours and clarify that people should enjoy their personal time. Encourage employees to take their sick leave and use their vacation days. Be a role model by striving for work-life balance yourself.

3. Be transparent

Being open and honest with your workers fosters a sense of trust and belonging among your staff. Have regular meetings where you discuss your organization's goals, strengths, and challenges and receive input and feedback from your team. This encourages engagement and shows your workers that their perspective is valuable.

4. Having a set of values that applies to your staff

Sometimes organizations create noble values that they apply to their customers but don't apply to their workers. Employees see clients and customers being treated well but then wonder why those values don't apply to them. Create a set of values that applies to your staff. Set out how you want your team to feel. Do you want them to feel valued? Supported? What does that look like in your organization?

5. Ask your staff what they need

It's challenging to come up with solutions that everyone will find meaningful. Ask your staff what would be valuable to them–and what would make them happy enough to stay. For example, they may be pleased with additional vacation days or more banked sick time. Listen to their suggestions and consider whether any options they mention could work for your organization.

Final thoughts

Nobody likes to feel like a cog in the machine. Anything could be going on behind closed doors. There are, of course, expectations to meet in every job. However, employers would do well to remember that everyone working for them has an entire life outside the company. A construction company that supports and shows compassion to its contractors is likelier to keep the good ones from burning out.

While increasing salary is one thing you can do to keep your employees happy, there are other things they may value that you can offer. Employee development plans are a great way to invest in your employees, keep them motivated, and help them acquire new skills that will help them in their careers. It also enables you to promote from within your construction company, saving you time and money in the long run.

About The Author:

Sharie DeHart, QPA is the co-founder of Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood, Washington. She is the leading expert in managing outsourced construction bookkeeping and accounting services companies and cash management accounting for small construction companies across the USA. She encourages Contractors and Construction Company Owners to stay current on their tax obligations and offers insights on how to manage the remaining cash flow to operate and grow their construction company sales and profits so they can put more money in the bank. Call 1-800-361-1770 or sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com

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