Urban Utilities

Antonia Buckman

The great resignation has been dominating business conversations and it’s likely to continue into 2022.

The hot labour market is allowing active candidates to be selective and enticing happy employees to consider other job options, so organisations that are holding on to old ways of working are right to be worried.

As our lives have changed during the pandemic, it’s prompted many employees to carefully consider what they value and their pathway ahead. It’s time many organisations did the same.

Here are some ways that organisations can focus on attracting top talent and creating an environment for their people to want to stay.

Know your employee value proposition.

Be clear on the value your organisation offers to both your customers and your people. What is the purpose of your organisation? What are the values?Are the right foundations in place, or is there an opportunity to reflect and realign to the changing market? When you know what you stand for, you can align your business activities to that and let go of anything that is holding your organisation back.

Connect your people to your purpose.

Truly purpose-driven organisations ensure their purpose is reflected in every strategic decision and resonates in everything they do. If your people don’t feel it, you’re not delivering it. Connecting people to your organisation’s purpose and creating a shared sense of belonging, where everyone knows how they can contribute, is key to building a high performing workforce. Candidateswant to see this reflected in your brand and throughout their recruitment experience. Employees want to feel this every day.

"Change the way you do business. Stop worrying about productivity and start focusing on outcomes and effectiveness"

Know and look after your people.

Now, more than ever, organisations need to demonstrate they are listening, and they care. Leaders need to have a strong relationship with their people to know what they value and then be more flexible and responsive to those needs. Don’t hide behind surveys that don’t get actioned – get your people involved in the design of what ‘great’looks like in their role and be willing to make big changes. This includes tailoring solutions for the individual,so they are set up for success. To make it easy to be successful, you might consider:flexibility, role clarity, clear career paths and growth opportunities, fit for purpose technology, a safe and collaborative workenvironment (at home or in the office), strong and empathetic leadership, reward and recognition, respect, and trust.Give feedback often and take it graciously. As HR professionals, we know these are the building blocks to success. Organisations that demonstrate they value and care about their people will be less likely to lose them.

Change the way you do business. Stop worrying about productivity and start focusing on outcomes and effectiveness. Do less, do it well and resource your business to ensure your people have the capacity to deliver. Working huge hours and being busy is no longer a flag of honour – people need balance and when they get it, they’re more likely to deliver better outcomes. The shift to working from home during the pandemic has given us a glimpse into people’s homes and personal lives, blurring lines between life and work commitments. Hold on to that and continue to celebrate people bringing their whole self to work. Ramp up your diversity and inclusion initiatives to provide real opportunities. It is the unique attributes that every person brings that creates a diverse and high performing workforce.

Pay people what they’re worth. Salaries are increasing as some employers panic to lock down candidates, but this is unsustainable. It may also negatively impact engagement with existing team members and increase attrition as the gap widens. Too often recruiters are having candidates withdraw due to attractive counteroffers from current employers encouraging their employees to stay. If your people are worth it then don’t wait for them to leave, pay them that now. However, remember pay is only one component and consider what is your total reward offering – learning and development, flexibility, opportunities to work on interesting projects or make a difference. This can be just as, if not more, powerful than a higher salary to attract the right person to the team. This goes back to the point about knowing your people and what they value and aligning it to your value proposition. 

Be flexible. Flexibility is now an expectation and it’s more than the ability to work from home, it’s aboutworking in a culture of trust and ensuring the balance between work and life are flexible enough to create value on both sides.It’s not about a shifting power balance to employees – it’s about mutual respect and appreciation for each other’s needs, shared trust and contribution, and ensuring you have the right foundations in place for future success.

Now more than ever, is the right time for employers to create an environment where people can thrive. The organisations that are willing to listen, and act, will be the ones that come out on top in the fight for talent.