Help Your Employees Succeed
Do you go above and beyond to ensure your employees receive the best training for the job and have the opportunities and help to enhance their careers and skills?
Having a positive environment, where employees feel their voices are heard and their wellbeing is taken care of, is crucial for retention. After all, employee engagement is a priority for leaders as top performers are essential to a company’s growth. When employees are engaged, productivity, innovation and collaboration increase, saving the company money on hiring. The added bonus – they keep the top talent and stay ahead in a competitive market.
There are a variety of ways that employers can openly express to their colleagues that they are valuable members to the team. To start, offering internal mentorship programs that provide extra education to employees to grow their careers at the organization are pull factors for them to be engaged in their work and the organization.
Businesses can also create an environment that rewards their employees through added incentives, letting them know their work is being recognized. Manulife Financial and Pfizer Inc. are companies that strive to make their employees feel appreciated. Here are 6 innovative ways to create an environment where management is approachable and receptive to ideas, and employees feel confident in their training to do their jobs successfully.
- STARs of Excellence Program: Every year, Manulife Financial awards top achievers (below the Executive level). This honor is selective and is awarded to an employee that demonstrates STAR quality – Superior Knowledge and Skill, Trust and Integrity, Action-Oriented and Responsiveness.
- Pay-For-Performance Compensation: For an added incentive, employees can influence their pay based on their job performance.
- Education and Financial Benefits: In addition to health and dental benefits, employees can also receive full tuition assistance for approved courses that will benefit their careers
- Career Growth and Mentorship Programs: Pfizer offers employees a wide range of programs to enhance their careers. For example, colleagues have the opportunity to create ‘career roadmaps’ with their managers and they can take part in coaching discussions led by their executive leaders. Further, employees can easily become a mentor or find a mentor through Pfizer’s online ‘Mentor Match’ to get/give assistance internally. Finally, employees can try different areas of the business by offering their support for short-term project roles or through job-rotation assignments
- Wellness Perks: To ensure their employees take their own wellbeing seriously, Pfizer offers health and wellness programs including nutrition and fitness counseling, medical screening and preventative health programs
- OWNIT! Culture: ‘OWNIT!’ is a culture designed by Pfizer that encourages employees to create their own success while driving positive results for the business. When an employee has a new idea they want to share and deliver, their ideas are not ignored, but instead are welcomed by management. This lets employees know their leaders care about their contributions to the business.
Equipping your employees with proper training, incentives and overall positive experiences will make them feel confident in their roles and valuable to the company. Employees are more likely to stay at a job where they can grow and their bosses care about their wellbeing.
Does this sound like an area you wish to explore further? The HR Management Institute Canada is taking place November 13th to 15th, 2016 at the InterContinental in Montreal, Quebec. Here, CHROs and VPs of HR from Canada's largest organizations, including Rogers, Canadian Tire, Maple Leaf Foods and Air Canada will come together to talk more on employee retention, engagement and how to improve their company’s culture. Spots are filling up fast; join the HR Management Institute group here on LinkedIn to request your invite.