Extraordinary Business

In this era of more work for fewer people, we are also beginning to see another trend. Employers are creating better work/life balances for their employees. In a recent artical in our local newspaper, that very subject was addressed. One of the interesting facts pointed out was a recent survey conducted by a Pittsburgh-based business consulting firm found that 18% of workers were planning on switching jobs to specifically bring a better work/life balance to their lives.

That number represents a turnover of approximately one out of every five employees in an organization. What would a turnover like that do to your business? How will that impact your sales and bottom line especially if these turn out to be key employees? (In my opinion, those are the ones that usually change jobs for better balance because they are often relied upon the most to get things done. Especially when others aren't carrying their load.)

The challenge for most businesses is to keep good employees once they have them on the payroll. The article went on to say that Generation X workers have done a better job staking out personal time than preceeding generations. This generation will also do more to protect that balance, including switching jobs if necessary.

Employers: here are some signs that you should pay attention to if you wish to lower your turnover.
1) Listen to your employees. If you receive feedback, address it.
2) Watch the morale. If it's down, ask why.
3) Keep employees informed and involved. The trust will go a long way to helping you discover when problems arise.
4) Be proactive instead of reactive. Implement things that allow for better work/life balance.
5) Set clear job descriptions.
6) Always seek process improvement. Eliminate non-value added processes and services.
7) Provide continued development opportunities to your staff. Development can be far less expensive than hiring and training.
8) Create a culture that promotes work/life balance. This starts at the top first.

Please understand that many of the changes you can enact are little to no cost. And if there is an investment, it is small in comparison to the return it can bring.