INDUSTRY NEWS
THE FUTURE OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION IS PRIORITISING WELLBEING
Victoria Brocklesby , COO and Co-Founder at the UK ’ s leading manufacturer of aluminium doors and windows , Origin , speaks to us about the importance of employee wellbeing , a business ’ moral duty to look after its staff , and the employer benefits that come from fostering a happy workforce .
By prioritising employee wellbeing and ensuring employees are genuinely looked after , you will create a workforce that is genuinely happy and engaged at work . This means they are less likely to leave . Research by Gallup highlights this . It found that employees who strongly agree that their employer cares about their overall wellbeing are 69 % less likely to actively search for a new job . According to Headspace , 70 % of employees report that they have missed work this year due to mental health issues . Plus , further Gallup research shows that employees who are well looked after are 71 % less likely to experience burnout and three times more engaged at work . They will also be safer , minimising the number of incidents and preventable sick days .
Reducing staff churn will also save your business money in recruitment . According to a report by the Society for Human Resource Management , the average cost per hire in the UK is £ 3,000 . When you consider the employee turnover rate in the
UK construction industry is around 20 %, you can start to see the scale of the issue .
Now is the time for reactive businesses to reprioritise staff wellbeing to foster a healthy working environment and reap the business benefits . But how ?
Put Wellbeing First
When it comes to staff wellbeing , prioritising what employees actually want is key . It should not be about making the business seem caring , but doing its utmost to support its staff , nurture relationships , and create a happy and committed workforce . I have four key considerations :
1 . CULTURE
Externally , everyone knows Origin for manufacturing premium-quality aluminium doors and windows , but internally , it is our company culture that is the top priority . As a family business , fostering a close-knit community and a sense of belonging has been a vital part of our success , even as we have grown . The family business feel , and prioritising our company values of care , trust , and respect sit at the heart of everything we do .
2 . BENEFITS
All our employees have access to workplace benefits . Up until a few years ago , this was a Gymflex package . However , we realised that the uptake amongst staff was low , and this approach wasn ’ t serving our employees as well as it could . So , we went back to the drawing board . After a consultation process , we settled on a cash plan scheme . This takes a more holistic approach to employee wellbeing by offering gym memberships alongside subsidised healthcare , 24 / 7 virtual GP appointments , mental health support , and retail discounts . These things together make for a much more meaningful benefits package and uptake increased to over 70 % as a result . We even extended the package to our employees ’ families because they are an extension of the Origin family .
3 . LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Having an effective training and learning system not only means your business can upskill its employees , but it shows your staff that you care about their career progression and wider learning . At Origin , we invested in a new learning management system that allows our employees to complete courses related to their job role and broaden their knowledge in other subject areas , such as mental health .
4 . ACTIVE LISTENING
Alongside showing that you care about staff ’ s health , they also want to know they are heard and that their opinions matter . At Origin , we hold regular town hall-style meetings with senior members of the company to allow our employees to ask questions , give feedback , and make suggestions . Everyone is listened to , with every idea and concept given fair consideration .
But remember , whilst there is no one-size-fits-all approach , any strategy must be genuine and have the interests of your employees at its core . For instance , there ’ s no point investing in a cycle-towork scheme if your employees are all based remotely . Looking after employee wellbeing is more than simply introducing benefits , it ’ s about enhancing their entire experience at work .
www . origin-global . com
18 SEPTEMBER 2023 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM