Has something changed?
Staff are motivated by good management, the culture of the organisation, training and development prospects, the opportunity for promotion and wider benefits. Credit: APM Terminals
There are only two reasons why people change jobs, says Mark Charman at Faststream: ‘something changed’ or ‘something didn’t change’.
“When you look at any of the surveys relating to retention, money doesn’t actually figure that high. Money is important and certainly will be in the top 10 but not at number 1 or 2,” he says. “The sort of things people are looking at are really good management, the culture of the organisation, training and development prospects, the opportunity for promotion and wider benefits.”
Spinnaker's Phil Parry agrees: “We always ask what is your motivation to leave and very rarely is it a reason of money. A lot of the time it is personal issues – disliking the boss, no room for promotion – and often high-performance people say ‘I’m bored’. With junior staff, it often relates to training, or the lack of it.”
There is, of course the age-old fear that if you spend bucket-loads on training, your well-trained people will simply be snapped up by others. But as British International Freight Association (BIFA) put it recently: “Contrary to popular belief, staff do not up and leave to work for a competitor as soon as they have received training. Indeed, they are likely to feel refreshed, more valued and show increased commitment as a result. The best investment you can make, therefore, is in the individuals at the forefront of your operation. The payback in improved customer service, quality, new business and staff loyalty will be immeasurable. Training should be top of your budget plans.”
The key to all of these things, whether benefits, working environment or career path, is communication, says Phil Parry. “A lot of people say ‘I only found out after I resigned how much they liked me’. There is an increase in interest in staff engagement programmes at the moment – very much realising that it is not just cash, it is about treating staff well and saying thank you and showing that their ideas are listened to and important.
“Ultimately the effect of a pay increase is pretty short-lived. Everybody wants one – but it doesn’t necessarily retain them.”
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