What lengths should I go to to keep an employee?

Today the senior members of the Royal family will sit down and try to “carve-out” a role for Prince Harry and Meghan in the light of their wish to step back from their current roles. So, this got me thinking, how far should you go to keep an employee?

When employees make the decision to leave a role, there is always a reason. It may be that they are after more money, more flexibility, a shorter commute or a new challenge, some of these reasons you may be able to deal with but be aware that this can open the floodgates for the rest of your staff.

Firstly, it’s important to understand the reason your employee is leaving.

• If it’s money, are they paid fairly for the role they are doing, could you potentially pay them a bit more? What’s the impact and cost to the business if they do leave? Are they one of your top salespeople who will take business with them?

• Do they require more flexibility? Is there an option for them to work from home for part of their week? Could their role be made part-time to accommodate home life?

• A shorter commute, there’s not really much you can do about this unless you move the office or help your employee to move closer to the office/site or offer the flexibility to work from home occasionally.

• Is your employee bored with their current role, do they need more of a challenge? If this employee is a real asset to your company, could you look to put a plan in place to train them for a more senior position?

With open communication, there is no need for your employee to leave on a sour note, explore all the options available and do what you think is right. Do bear in mind that other members of staff may be aware of the situation and if the employee starts bragging about the lengths you’ve gone to keep them; you may put out someone’s nose out of joint. It’s also important that you don’t go overboard trying to keep someone, yes, it’s a pain to replace someone but you’ve got to do right by the business and staff as a collective.

For a no-obligation chat about your recruitment process and how we might be able to help you, please contact one of our friendly team on 01473 276146 or visit our website www.spiderrecruit.co.uk.