How do offices attract and retain staff talent?

Offices have faced more adversity these last couple of years than ever before. After learning to cope with working in the midst of a global pandemic and the current cost of living crisis, another challenge businesses now face is a national talent shortage.

In fact, 67% of recruiters say it’s harder than ever to find talent to fill roles. In an increasingly competitive market, we take a look at some simple things businesses can do to attract and keep talent.

Flexibility

Since 2020, we’ve seen a huge shift in working practices and because of that, people have different expectations from their employees. A lot of businesses are now embracing flexible and agile working practices so people can work from home, or in fact, anywhere, and do flexible hours.

Embracing flexible working arrangements helps employers attract and keep talent. It also promotes a positive workplace culture that’s built on commitment and trust. However, flexibility must work both ways – in other words, it can’t just be a one-way street where employees get all the benefits. There should be a healthy balance between both parties so it’s mutually beneficial.

Employee health and wellbeing

Businesses that champion mental health and staff well-being will also attract and retain talent. The many positive outcomes gained from investing in the well-being of staff are indisputable. Lots of studies show a direct link between productivity levels and the general health and well-being of staff.

In a study by Mind, 60% of workers reported feeling more motivated and more likely to recommend their organisation if their employer supported their mental well-being. The CIPD also state that investing in employee well-being can lead to increased resilience, better employee engagement and reduced sickness absence.

Continuous learning

Continuous learning or upskilling in the workplace has the potential to expand employee skill sets, and increase skill and knowledge retention. Not only that but investing in continuous learning for your team will help to generate new ideas and perspectives, boost morale and raise overall employee performance. It can increase job satisfaction and makes people feel valued and engaged by offering clear career progression – all of which will keep people in the business.

In an ever-shifting social and economic landscape, a business’s success depends on its people’s ability to adapt. Hiring new people, especially in the competitive market, to fill each emerging skill gap is difficult and not sustainable. Therefore supporting the development of employee skill sets will help businesses meet current and longer-term business demands.

An inspiring office environment

Creating an engaging workspace for your employees can help them to work to their full potential. Thoughtfully designed workspaces can facilitate creativity, collaboration, and comfort.

Your team will likely want all the trappings and comforts of home with a full menu of amenities, cutting-edge technology and great-tasting coffee. You’ll want to provide your teams with the best of the basics. That includes fast wi-fi, high-quality desktop/laptop computers and the ability to control their personal space – light, sound and temperature. Of course, office design is important so think about reimagining and reorganising workspaces, redecorating to introduce more colour, and adding plants and greenery to the space.

And remember, when you’re showing people around during interviews, the office tour must make a good impression. People should be able to imagine themselves happily working in your office environment, so it could make or break whether that person joins your business.

These are just some initiatives you can take to help attract and retain talent, but there are lots of other things you can do. We recommend asking your team what they want from your business and finding out ways you can help improve your company culture and work environment.

Get in touch

If you’re thinking of upping your office coffee game, get in touch with our team. It’s a simple office perk but one that people really value.