With the Festive Season festivities well and truly in full swing, and staff gearing up to take their annual leave, or prepare for your shut down period, now is the time to start thinking about and planning for any staffing and people changes for 2012! I know the last thing many people want to do at this time of year is plan ahead and think about work tasks for 2012, but being prepared and organised can really set you up for a successful start to the new year. A new year can be a hot time for resignations, transfers and staffing changes in any organisation. Many employees who have become disengaged in their workplace, roles and careers during the year find themselves taking stock of what really matters and what they really want to achieve in the year ahead over the Christmas/New Year period. As they sit with family and friends and start discussing New Year’s resolutions, and the achievements of the year just gone, it dawns on many people that they are unhappy in some aspect of their lives…
The quickest fix seems to be to get a new job!
They return from their Christmas leave and one of three things will generally happen:
- They stay put, waiting for a ‘sign’, some motivation, inspiration or for something to change. These people generally remain disengaged from their responsibilities and do just what’s needed to get through the day, flying under the radar.
- They promptly hand in their resignation on their first day back and commence job hunting.
- They start searching for that great new role, giving little if any focus and commitment to their current workplace until they inevitably resign.
None of these are ideal situations for a business of any size to face at the beginning of the calendar year, but what, if anything, can you do to avoid these times and minimise the impact they have on the operations and profitability of the organisation?
Look for the signs of staff who have began to disengage from their roles or the organisation.
Use this time to start to open up conversations with the team about taking the time to relax over the break, and set goals as a team now for some of the things you want to do in the new year. The signs you might be looking for generally involve a shift in behaviour and some classics include taking more than the usual amount of sick leave; leaving work right on time every day, when they used to be the sort of person to work back whenever needed; not putting their hands up for those special projects they previously have been dead keen to be involved in; withdrawing from groups within the workplace; taking long lunches and in general being a different person in the office.
Don’t wait until after the New Year to start re-engaging these employees.
By having regular reviews and appraisal systems in place, you will more easily be able to identify and manage these employees. Also coordinate more casual and off-the-record catch ups with staff to encourage open communication.
Keep employees engaged in the vision through regular team and company meetings.
Share goals and visions with them and allow the opportunity to provide ideas as to how they can contribute to the success and achievement of company goals.
Reward staff who are doing a great job!
It doesn’t have to be grand or expensive, nor does a big fuss have to be made – a small gesture goes a long way.
Know what motivates your people.
When you understand this, you have the best possible chance of keeping them engaged and committed.
Plan a day for very early in the new year for planning, team engagement and morale building.
And let the team know about it now. Having something fun and interactive planned gives them something to look forward to, and may get the excited about coming back to work, rather than dreading it!
At the end of the day, staff will always leave organisations, and in some cases, there is nothing you can do to prevent this, but you can ensure you manage the process to minimise the impact it has on the rest of the team. If you have open and honest communication channels with your staff and they feel they can come to you with honest feedback, you will be in the drivers seat when these situations arise. If they come to you indicating they are seeking alternate work, and there is nothing more you can do to keep them should you want to, give them your blessings, help them to find something new and start the replacement process yourself internally straight away. The longer an unhappy employee stays with you, then more detriment it will have on your team and ultimately your business. Don’t try and delay the inevitable, nip it in the bud and move on.
