OAG NEPAL

As any business-owner will tell you, retaining high-quality, long-term and reliable staff is one of the quickest roads to success. Not only does a long-term staff have loyalty and advanced capabilities in the workplace, but productivity (and ultimately profits) increase without the need to slow down and train new staff every few months. One of the best pieces of business advice we could give would be to find good, reliable and intelligent employees—and then hold onto them for dear life. Here are a few tips on staff retention for small businesses:

Be Flexible

Flexibility is one of the most important attributes an employer can possess. These days, the modern family is busier than ever, and while as an employer you’d prefer staff to prioritise their work above all else, this is never going to happen—just as you wouldn’t prioritise your work over your family and commitments, your staff will not either. In order to make it easier for your staff to give as much of themselves to their work as possible while they’re in the office, you can become more flexible in terms of their out-of-work commitments. For example, one staff member may need to pick up her son from soccer training one afternoon or another might have a commitment to night classes once a week and need to leave early. This isn’t your problem, but if you make allowances and compromises so that your staff can cater their schedule to fit their lives a bit better, you’ll be rewarded with happier, more loyal staff.

Acknowledge Successes, Share Failures

There is nothing that’ll send a staff-member running for the hills faster than a boss who takes credit for ideas they’ve come up with! We’ve all been there at some time or another…we suggest an idea, it doesn’t get much of a reaction and then a week down the track, lo and behold, the boss presents it as his own! Similarly, a good boss or manager will not pin failure on one team member, but look at constructive ways of how everyone can learn from it in the future. Never underestimate the power of a compliment, an acknowledgement of a job well done, or even a pat on the back to let someone know you appreciate the hard work they’ve been putting in. One of the most common reasons people leave their jobs is feeling under-appreciated, so if you’re looking to hold onto staff members, let them know they’re valued!

Play To Their Strengths

A business is a naturally evolving organism. What started out as one thing can swiftly move into another area and become something fresh and new. Part of that evolution is being able to identify the strengths of your employees and help them to explore them and reach their full potential. A good business person sees room to grow in every direction, and that includes the skill set of his staff. Encourage your staff members in the fields they show interest in, and support them in achieving goals within the setting of your business. If you can find an employee with a certain set of skills and utilise those skills to improve your business, you’ve got yourself a mutually beneficial situation, and one that your staff member will want to continue.

Your tax accountant can give you advice about how to distribute your finances and how to avoid paying excessive tax. They can also advise you how best to organise and invest, but a big part of success is the right people to work with–and for–you. Make sure they stick around!