Why businesses are having to work harder to keep their staff happy

Employers are having to work harder to attract and retain staff.

That was one of the key messages from the panel discussion marking the launch of the E2E Track 100 for job creation.

E2E, the business mentoring and networking organisation founded and chaired by Shalini Khemka CBE, with upwards of 24,000 members, specialises in bring entrepreneurs together, so they can share their experiences and advice. The Track 100, produced in conjunction with The Independent, is the regular E2E ranking of the country’s best-performing private companies in a particular field. This week, it was the turn of job creation, after tech, exports and female-run businesses.

UK employment is in reasonable fettle. According to the Office for National Statistics, the employment rate is 74.8 per cent. That’s a decent bounce back after the ravages of Covid, followed by inflation and supply chain problems.

So, is it harder or easier for businesses to get the people they want? Dawn Storey of FGH Security, which manages safety across a range of diverse industries, was in no doubt: “The one size fits all model is old; now you need to adapt to different demographics, different circumstances. Recruits are facing a lot of competing roles and you must make yours stand out, they want better development and training.”

Purnima Sen from Sparta Global, a trainer for those seeking jobs in technology, agreed. Potential employees were more discerning. “They’re constantly looking for jobs and they have no qualms about leaving their current jobs.”

”We have to address trends, we must stay across what is happening. It’s our task to remove barriers to entry, to make it easier for people to join – that’s not easy, because there is a huge skills gap,” she added.

Right now, what folks are searching for are workplaces and career paths that stress sustainability, inclusivity and staff welfare.

Sen said there was a shift towards employers that provided clear career progression, with a high degree of emphasis on sustainability and ESG. “They want to work for a company that does good and at the same time supplies them with recognition and reward.”

Tomas Gronager of CleanEvent Services, a cleaning services company catering for music, sports, healthcare and retail venues, felt the market had not returned. “There is a shortage of people at the entry level because the labour market, post-Covid, has not come back. It’s not the same, and there is a lower level of immigration. We’re still managing to fill gaps but we’re having to work to fill them.”

CleanEvent Services takes unskilled workers and upskills them. The biggest challenge they face is motivating them.

This was agreed by all the panel, that they were having to put more effort in, to keep employees enthused and onside. They want continuous development and constant support, said Sen. “You’ve got to engage, you’ve got to make it interesting for them.”

Today’s younger recruits talk a lot more to their friends and contemporaries, and they are making straight comparisons. They know their peers’ job titles, they know (or at least think they do) what they earn and how their career paths are unfolding. And they desire it for themselves.

Bosses also said they are providing more immediate rewards for a job well done. As one said, it may be something small, like an Amazon voucher for £20, but it gives a boost, the recipient appreciates getting it there and then.

Regular appraisals are increasingly expected. Employees wish to be praised and encouraged. Job titles matter more than they ever did. So with the appraisals they are looking for tangible returns – pay rises and more seniors titles.

Sen described how mentorship is vital. More senior employees, but who new recruits can relate to and was where they are not so long ago, are brilliant for providing that much-needed assurance, she said.