Binding employees in an unofficial way

No doubt, attrition and retention of manpower is one of the top HR concerns
for solution providers (SPs) as their people's frequent movement leads to loss
of business, valued information, market knowledge and important clients.

SPs are gradually taking this as a serious issue and have started investing
their time, energy and money to control this issue so that their assets are not
lost to their peers.

The pain point

SPs usually do give due focus on the hiring process and also credibly invest
their time in appointing a new bunch of talent. But equal efforts should be made
to outline the growth plan to the existing employees, so that they could foresee
a challenging path before them and enjoy the working environment. These measures
in turn will establish a strong relation with the company.

Though it is comparatively easy to hire a fresh pool of talent, it is very
difficult to retain them. Efforts should be made to keep them happy and
satisfied so that any thought of changing the organization shall not come to
their mind.

It is time that SPs realize the specific needs of different set of employees
that motivates them and thus adopts strategies that are effective enough to
control the retention rate. Though, most partners have resorted to various
measures to mend the problem such as appraising their manpower on regular
interval, awarding them with incentives, providing flexibility in nature of
work, etc, it has not helped solve the attrition issue completely. This is why
apart from official ways, SPs should opt for some innovative measures, which
might help them built a personal rather than only professional relationship with
employees.

One interesting option is to organize vacations, picnics or weekend offsite
meets, wherein some important announcements can be made such as salary hike or
acknowledging hard work by giving out awards to efficient employees. It leaves a
lasting impression on employees that help them bind to the organization on a
personal level also.

Healthy working environments give employees more reason to stay in an organization

Innovative

Recognizing one's potential can be the best way to boost confidence. SPs
should regularly award their employees' talent, to make them feel satisfied and
content with the organization. The employer should decide on innovative ways
that brings the bunch of talent closer to him as well as the company.

Clashes or differences in opinion are common in a large organization with
huge set of employees. But efforts should be made to bind them together and
motivate them to work collectively.

Also, employees should be involved in various activities that the company
undertakes. This way they can contribute some ideas and the qualified suggestion
should be rewarded immediately. The reward could be in form of movie tickets,
gift vouchers or shopping coupons.

Another measure that should be taken care of is to incorporate changes in the
execution of the reward system regularly, before it becomes monotonous and
employees start taking it for granted. Often these measures that are created
with the objective of binding employees loses its grip if it is not revamped
regularly. Hence, some freshness should be maintained and appraisal as well as
awarding system should be mended, preferably, every year.

Rainbow of ideas

Taking employees for an offsite meet or picnics does not help achieve the
objective entirely. Some planning and strategies are important, so that the
purpose of binding employees to the company, the employer as well as to their
team is met properly.

Giving the entire responsibility to the HR who understands the needs of
different people and organize the event in a way that is well accepted by all
and gives the desired results can do this.

There are various aspects that one has to take care of, for instance, booking
a venue that suits everybody, chalking out the food and beverages and planing
entertainment and fun activities to engross all age groups. Such group
activities could be extended to inviting the family members of the employees
also.

The idea of company picnics can easily differ from a simple one to a big
event and without any doubt, employees can have fun at the their extreme in both
the cases. Family picnics could be great way for the employees to meet
co-workers' families and share a great interpersonal relationship.

Family picnics could be organized at all levels. It could be something as
innocuous as watching a movie followed by lunch or a visit to amusement parks or
simply choosing an offsite location for a daylong picnic. If the unofficial
meeting could also be organized at the owner's residence, it could actually
helps in nurturing a warm relation between the employer and the employees.

Datacare Corporation in Pune for instance has created a separate entrance
from its office's terrace to a neighboring hotel, so that the hotel can directly
bring food and beverages to the employees relaxing on the terrace. Anil Mhaske,
Owner, Datacare Corporation, also organizes a get together for his team at his
farmhouse on the outskirts of the city, regularly.

Such efforts by employers can help retain their employees for a long time and
create a healthy working environment in the organization. All these activities
can make an employee believe that he is a valuable asset to the company, wherein
he can foresee a bright future and an astonishing growth path.

Amrita Tejasvi

amritat@cybermedia.co.in